


The Bog Witch

by BlueStarPaladin, MsBluebell



Series: Space Moms Write Klance [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 31 Days Of Halloween, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Betaed by SilviaMoon, Fae & Fairies, Fae Keith (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Halloween, Horror, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Magic, Minor Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Mischief, Oblivious Lance (Voltron), POV Lance (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Possessive Behavior, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), This is not a romance, This is supposed to be a horror story, Witch Lance (Voltron), Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-05 01:17:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 72,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16357859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueStarPaladin/pseuds/BlueStarPaladin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsBluebell/pseuds/MsBluebell
Summary: The only thing protecting the village of Dreadwarren from the horrors of the bog surrounding it is the power of the local village fae god. Lance, youngest of the three witches of Dreadwarren, finds himself making a deal with the same fae in order to wonder into the bog and find a girl that was taken by the fog.{An AU where Lance is a witch and Keith is a fae.}





	1. Chapter 1

_“Never put your faith in a Prince. When you require a miracle, trust in a Witch.”_

-Catherynne M. Valente

**~**

The fog was rolling in.

Blue eyes flickered over the dirt path as they watched thick mists creep through the trees, chapped lips pinched tightly together and feet not straying from his path. The summer heat was dying away, leaving nothing but the chill of autumn behind. Still, his path was flanked by wildflowers and grass too tall for his liking, the boglands covered with greenery that was both natural and unnatural all at once. He didn’t dare stray from the path though, letting his worn boots kick at the beaten trail of dirt that lead to the village of Dreadwarren from his cottage on the hill.

He pulled his satchel closer to himself, the beaten leather soft and familiar, a comforting weight beneath this chill. His cloak felt heavy on his shoulders, the hood pulled up to hide his brunette hair. Knottwork hung off his satchel, protective spells worked into the knots, creating a talisman meant to ward off the attention of beasts that haunted the bog. It was dangerous even to walk this trail these days, silver and iron only doing so much to ward off unsavoury happenings. Just a week ago he’d heard from one of the village girls that a Leshen took control of the woods just outside their territory, held back only by the magic that protected Bloodback Bog.

He’s not surprised the Leshen was drawn to this place. Bloodback is a giant bog of gnarled and twisted trees with thick fog and a bloody history so dark the very name of the land was tainted. Some trees grew black, and the soil itself was tainted red for centuries from the bloodshed. Even now, as he’s walking down the short path between his home and the village in the daylight, there was danger to be found, the haunted screams of wraiths can be heard in the distance beneath the fog, haunting their watery cemeteries, where their bodies were long lost to the bog. He’s safe, so long as he doesn’t stray from the path, he might even be able to fight off a few if he did, but he can’t know what else is out there right now, or know the sheer number of wraiths under the fog, so he doesn’t risk it.

His tanned hand reaches onto one of the trinkets tied lovingly into his cloak, the glass crow’s skull small but comforting against his fingers. He has many trinkets like this, tied into every loose string of his cloak, satchel, belt loops, and shirt. Some of them iron, some silver, some knottwork and beads, all of them meant for spells or protection.

Lance is the only witch in the village, the only one on this side that bothered doing his job anyway. There were two others, one on the other side of Bloodback all on her own, and the other in Dreadwarren, down the second path and towards the _other_  part of the village, the part where only she lived and where few others dared to go without a tribute. He never dared to go there if he didn't have to, too disturbed by the path alone. Still, the fact that few others dared to go there meant he was the only witch they consulted, leaving him the sole provider of potions and spells for everyday aches and pains.

Whatever, more business for him. He got food and coin out of the deal, and if the old witch in the village wasn’t going to be a business rival then he didn’t care. The village was the only one in Bloodback, everyone else being too smart to live in a place like this, as haunted as this, and he needed all the business he could get. The people of Dreadwarren were generous too, and he never had to worry about bandits here. He still thinks it would be better for them all to leave, find somewhere else, but the villagers were too stuck, too ingrained in the land.

“Where else would we go?” His friend, Hunk the blacksmith, asked when Lance was complaining to him about it one day, “Everywhere else isn’t much better, and not all the villages out there are as lucky as we’ve been to gain protection.”

Hunk was right, of course, the sunken or burned remains of other villages were spread between the trees in some parts of the bog, lost to time, sometimes with bodies still half sunk in the muck. Lance saw a long destroyed cabin he’d never noticed just a mile from the village the other day, when the fog rolled back just enough for him to catch a glimpse of it through the trees, claw marks and dark stains on the one standing wall. He knows that the villagers don’t want to risk moving for that very reason, even if their roots weren’t dug deep into the ground. He’d be a hypocrite to say he would know what to do if he left his long time home for good. Not that he hasn’t _ever_  left the bogs. Traders and merchants sometimes traveled to the village, or the village merchants needed to leave for outside supplies, and sometimes Lance went with them, but he’s so used to the air of his home that he always returns.

The bogs were his home, however, even if they were he couldn’t say with certainty that he knew his surroundings very well. He doubts any of the villagers are aware of what mysteries the forests harbour, much less the fog that surrounds them all. Even now, as he was walking, Lance could hear faint giggles within the tall grass. It made him pause in his wake to look at the general direction of the sound, his hand flying to the wand that was hidden underneath his cloak, while his other hand held onto one of his charms.

The giggles were faint but the more he listened to them, the more they gained in strength. He heard them on his right, then suddenly sounding on the other side of him, making him flinch as he turned in place.

_‘Hahaha…’_

_‘Fuhuhu…’_

He couldn’t tell who the owner of the voice was, but from what he could hear it sounded human like. He doubts it would be a human though because many creatures were humanoid in appearance as well, adapted to live among the unsuspecting humans before striking and bearing their claws. Vampires were the perfect example of this, completely human until they reveal their fangs, designed to draw blood as efficiently as they could from their victims.

Lance had fought against a vampire once. He knows just how dangerous those creatures were, and how deadly they can be. Yet something told him this wasn’t a vampire, a seventh sense of sorts. No, he didn’t feel any kind of bloodlust within the dark chuckles, but rather pure amusement instead.

There were many candidates whom the voice could belong to, but no matter who they were, Lance wasn’t going to show any signs of weakness. He was a powerful witch in his own right, equipped to handle most of the creatures that lurked around the bogs. It was the reason he allowed himself to live on the outskirts of the village, as well as walk closer to the bogs alone during its calmer moments without anyone by his side.

Blue eyes looked around himself, the giggles slowly beginning to subdue as its last echoes sounded around the bog. Lance remained in place for a good minute after the last of the voice was heard, fully aware that even though he couldn’t hear it anymore that didn’t mean the creature decided to leave.

He continued holding onto his wand as he turned, continuing his trek down the muddy path towards the village, relieved once he saw the first wooden house in the distance. The village wasn’t large but it wasn’t small either. It was made up of about thirty wooden houses, all hidden within large trees that were growing just off the side of the bogs.

Lance stared down upon the people as they carried on their everyday tasks. Woodcutters were carrying logs of wood on their shoulders as they walked down the paths of the village, piling all of the wood they gathered in one place and planning to distribute it to all of the houses as firewood.

Housewives were carrying wooden jugs of water on their heads as they walked down the paths of the village, carrying them back home while their husbands went out to hunt, the fools, providing food that would be served on their plates tonight. A few children were happily running about as well, blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking around just off into the woods.

Although, as Hunk said, their village was blessed in a way that it was safer than most. Why? Because they’ve gained protection of a Fae King, one of the most powerful and dangerous beings known to roam this land. All fae are different, but when it comes to a _king_  it’s a whole different story.

Lance had faced a few lower level fae before, boggarts and incubus being two of the more harmful ones he’d encountered. He wasn’t privy of fae, but even he had to admit that some of them were… useful at times. Such as brownies, small creatures that will do odd jobs if you leave milk out for them at night. It was only when Lance discovered that a cup of milk he accidentally left on the counter was gone, and the work room of his small cottage cleaned, that he realised they were within the bogs as well.

He wasn’t privy to any kinds of fae, but when it came to brownies he found them too useful to resist the temptation. With brownies though, there was a catch, and if you knew of their existence then they wouldn’t show up anymore. But Lance, having superior knowledge of these creatures than most, knew what to do to win their hearts once again.

He’d made it a habit to leave out honey, milk, and tiny clothes for his little friends to take while they cleaned his house. He wouldn’t disturb them at night and in exchange he’d give them all these gifts. The only downside was that he had to lock his two cats, Blue and Red with him in the bedroom, but since the two felines preferred cuddling up next to him in bed not a lot of damage was done.

He didn’t have anything against fae like brownies, but even brownies could turn evil if they’re treated badly, turning into boggarts instead. Unlike brownies, boggarts brought misfortune into the house and all kinds of bad luck. Lance is lucky to have charms against these creatures which protect him from their harm.

Fae were strange creatures, and truthfully Lance thinks that he’ll never fully understand them. Unlike the villagers he’ll never worship a Fae King, or bow down to any of them for that matter. He’d rather fight to his last breath than fully submit to a fae. And that was the trick here, because submitting yourself to a fae was incredibly easy. All it takes is one wrong move for you to be enslaved to them for all eternity, and when it comes to a _king_  they’d drag you back to their realm, tying your soul to them for all eternity.

The villagers have named this Fae King _Cù-Sith_ , a name worthy of a king and a death god. Their devotion to him went deep, going as far as cutting their own ears as offerings for the fae to take, the shivered remains of their sacrifice sometimes lining the trees leading towards the other part of Dreadwarren.. Even this far into the distance Lance could see the trail of ears that lingered just on the side of the village, leading to a single building that was built as the worshipping grounds for the Fae King.

He’ll have to stop by the house to examine it, as he did every other trip to the village.

Lance paused in his thoughts when he felt a strange gaze on him, looking around himself to see if he could spot anyone within the fog. He couldn't make out a single figure in this thick of a fog but he could tell that someone was there, watching him from deep within the clouded air. Lance stood in place confidently, unwilling to show fear. It was unnerving but he didn’t move, waiting for the creature to pass so that he can continue his trek to the village.

The creature didn’t move though, the outline of the humanoid shape standing there, watching. The specture’s features couldn’t be discerned underneath the heavy fog, and Lance wasn’t even entirely sure what he was seeing. It couldn’t be human, no human here was stupid enough to step off the path except young children with inattentive parents. It had to be an illusion, some particularly clever and aware wraith trying its luck and lingering too close to the village.

He knows that the creature won’t step onto the path, within the borders of the village, Cú-Sith would never let it. That was part the deal the villagers made when they started their worship, Cú-Sith blessed their harvest and protected their paths in return for sacrifice and worship. It’s the reason their village is still standing, if Lance is being honest, and it’s a bitter truth to accept. The village, and by extension Lance himself, are alive because the villagers paid tribute to something more powerful than the monsters in the bog.

Still, he doesn’t want to lose the battle of wills with this thing. It’s stupid, because spectors could stand for days in just one spot, staring, but he wants to win this anyway. He knows he could beat a lone wraith, or vampire, or whatever it was. He has work to do, crushed herbs and potions to deliver, but he’s frustrated with the creatures in the fog and their mocking laughter. Most of the villagers ignore the shape, too used to the dangers staring from just behind the treelines, and normally Lance would too, but the walk was awful and he wants to prove that he’s willing to fight it off.

Again, it’s stupid, wraiths don’t have the ability to comprehend anything but their own suffering and regret anymore, but it makes him feel better.

Strangely, the creature steps back, it’s form disappearing into the fog as it moved backwards. And that was suddenly a lot more horrifying than any wraith, because that meant something _was_  watching him, calculating and probably trying to figure out how to get into the village. Lance shivered, his hand dropping, and moved on, trying to forget the overall meaningless encounter.

He could hear the sound of metal hitting metal as he weaved his way towards Hunk’s house, the blacksmith beating away in his forge, pounding a pitchfork back into shape probably. Most of the villages meals came from the fertile patches of the gardens, impossibly growing all year around even in this dense bog, another result of Dreadwarren’s local religion. Hunk was key to making life here bearable though, constantly fixing broken farm tools or making nails.

Lance raised a tanned hand in greeting, “Hey Hunk.”

Hunk didn’t look up from his work, his brown eyes focused on the tool, “Hey Lance, how was your walk?”

“The fog is thick today.” Lance shrugged, manoeuvring his satchel and digging through it, pulling out a bottle of green liquid, “Lots of things too close to the path today, but I’m fine as always. I brought the reptile repellent you wanted by the way.”

“Yeah, things have been staring through the trees all day.” Hunk nodded, still not looking up from his work, “I’ve had what I think is a boggarts shouting at me for an hour this morning. He only stopped when he was dragged back by something and disappeared though. I think it may have been Cû-Sith’s magic or something, boggart must have gotten too big for his britches and tried to step past the path.”

Hunk nodded his head towards the table, “I reshaped your herb knife too, by the way, so just leave the potion there and take it.”

“Thanks Hunk.” Lance smiled, walking towards the bench and spotting the simple knife, meant for cutting flowers and herbs for his work with the potions. His spellwork isn’t always top notch, some being far easier than others, but he’s great at potions.

“No problem.” Hunk hummed, beating the hammer against the metal still. He glanced over for a moment, his brown eyes flickering over Lance, “I think Swirn has your vegetables by the way, make sure to pick them up when you’re done today.”

“Swirn and vegetables, got it.” Lance smiled at the other, waving his hand in a goodbye as he took a step toward the door, “Tell Shay I said hi. Maybe next time she could give me petals from that Larkspur flower she started growing. I could make an effective sleep potion with that.”

“I’ll let her know as soon as I see her.” Hunk returned the smile, careful not to move the flaming hot forge close to himself, “Be careful out there Lance. Don’t forget to bring Blue and Red some treats as well.”

“Geez Hunk... I know.” The brunette rolled his eyes, but appreciated the reminder, “I have a list of things I need to get. Cat food is definitely on it.”

“Just making sure buddy.” Hunk raised the forge, pointing it at the witch carefully, “Red will be furious if you forget.”

“I know. He’s a troublemaker but luckily for me I have Blue who can keep him at bay.” Lance turned on his heels, waving his hand in the air, finger glowing while he drew a symbol, blowing it away before Hunk’s forge dimmed, losing it’s fire.

“Oh no you didn’t!” The blacksmith whined, examining his forge that he’d have to re-heat again.

“Careful Hunk. The one thing you should know is that you can never point a weapon at a witch, otherwise I’ll see it as a challenge.” He snapped his fingers to let the tool lit aflame again, returning to its previous state, “I’ll see you later blacksmith!”

Hunk huffed with one hand on his hip, watching as Lance walked away. He returned to his work while the brunette continued onto his next errand to visit a sickly boy. His mother came to visit him the day before to ask for his help, and Lance was here to deliver on his promise of curing the poor boy.

He made his way through the houses, occasionally looking at the forest of trees to the side. Villagers greeted him as they passed, some smiling while others walked by without as much as an acknowledgement that he was there. He didn’t blame them for it, we all have a bad day once in a while after all.

Lance walked up to one of the wooden houses, knowing that the mother in question and her family lived here. He knocked and waited at the door before it opened, revealing a woman with red hair on the other side. A smile spread across her face as soon as she saw him, “Thank you so much for coming Lance. Please, come in.” She moved to the side for him to enter, which Lance did.

“It’s no trouble Florona.” Blue eyes roamed the familiar house, noting that everything was in its usual place. As the only one who is able to heal pain and aches, he’d already managed to see inside everyone’s homes. The village itself was small, which also meant that everybody knew one another. It was one of the perks of living in a small area like this. “So where is the little guy?”

“He’s in his room. He’d been in bed the whole day.” Florona led him into the said room, and as soon as Lance spotted the child he walked up to him, kneeling beside his bed. The poor boy coughed, a deep and dry cough. Lance put his satchel to the side, planning to examine the child before assessing which potion to give.

He made sure to check the temperature by placing his hand on the forehead, noting how warm he was. The boy had a fever, a big one. Lance had a potion for combating high temperatures, taking it out of his satchel and popping open the bottle, “Drink this. It should help.” He gently tilted the boy’s head up so that he could drink, the boy complying and drinking all of it.

Lance lowered the boy down again, pulling up the blanket up to his chest. He ran his hand through the short sweaty hair, content now that the boy ceased his coughing. “He should be feeling better soon. He had a high fever so I gave him a potion to lower his temperature.”

“Thank goodness…” Florona sighed in relief, holding her hands up to her chest. She was a caring mother, and was known for her kindness throughout the village. Lance wouldn’t hesitate to help her any time of the day. Her and Plaxum were two of the kindest women he’d ever met, helping their communities in any way they could.

“He’ll be fine. He’s a tough little guy.” Lance stood up, looking over the boy one more time before taking out another potion, “Give him this before he goes to sleep tonight. The potion I just gave him should do it but if he starts coughing again give him this. It should be enough to get rid of the fever completely.”

“I will, thank you.” Florona accepted the potion with a wide smile, looking over her son before escorting the witch out of the house, “Are there any other errands you have to run?”

“There are, as usual.” Lance stretched his arms up, stepping back onto the ground outside, “I have more potions to distribute. Some to help growing crops, others to to help with headaches and whatnot. You know, the usual.”

“I see. Well, I wish you luck.” Florona waved as Lance took his leave, waving back at the woman happily.

“Thank you Florona. See you around m’lady.” He teasingly bowed, Florona’s smile widening as he did. He sneaked his hands into his pockets, moving onto his next destination. A few more errands awaited him but after he was done with those he’ll need to head to the house of worship. The trail of ears would lead him there, letting all the visitors who venture there know of the offerings the village made to their dear protector.

There wasn’t overly much to do. It was getting a bit colder so a few villagers wanted cold remedies ahead of time, but now no one else was over sick or hurt. Old man William wanted something for the aches and pains of old age, but that was it as far as illnesses ran. They never had anything too challenging, like a plague, and Lance was thankful for at least that much. The rest of the potions were delivered in one go, only needing to be dropped off at a small field that made up the village’s harvest.  Over all Lance ended his day with everything he needed for home and a few extra coins for the Inn if he needed some ale later. The tanned boy hummed, content, dropping the coins into his satchel. The potions were mostly all gone now, everything he really needed to deliver in the hands of his customers.

Now for the unpleasant part.

Blue eyes narrowed as they found themselves flickering over his new path. Long lines of bone and long shrivelled ears lined the trees, a grim reminder of just what the villagers were willing to do for safety. Aside from the children, Lance was the only person in the entire village with both ears, living just outside of the village borders and being a witch.

The other witch, the one who lived in that part of the village, she was the one most often with Cú-Sith, living in the house next to his altar. She spoke to him, worshipped him devoutly, and shared his newest demands with them all. The ear thing started before Lance was born, but apparently their protector had stopped being content with just milk and honey as sacrifices one day and demanded a true sign of devotion. Every villager happily sliced off one of their own ears for them, some even making events of it. Even Hunk, his friend, had done the deed.

Lance, as a witch, was spared this fate when he was a kid, even when his own mother did it. His mom hadn’t cared over much, being a witch herself she hadn’t had to, but she did it as a sign of faith.

Still, even knowing that every ear hanging from those trees were willing sacrifices, it was still a grim sight. It was strange, those shrivelled things that once belonged to people he knows, some with large bites taken out of them. He shivered, goosebumps raising to the skin as he began down the path that lead to the house.

Fog thickened around the path immediately, blocking his view of the forest and it’s gnarled trees, but leaving just enough for him to make out the lines of bone and flesh. This path was shorter than the walk from his cottage, but it _felt_  longer, with empty whispers haunting him. He’s not sure if they’re real or not, but he ignore them anyway, along with the feeling of millions of eyes on him.

He hates coming to the other half of the village. Most people in their right minds hated this path, but he had to take it today. It wasn’t often that the old witch who lived here called him or the other witch over, too busy tending to orphans and the alter, preferring to mix up with anything else to do with people here unless they were visiting Cú Sith, so it must be important business.

All he really knew is that it involved some hysterical woman.

A crow caws when he steps into the older part of the village, leaving it’s perch and flying towards the wooden structure. It’s larger than any other building in Dreadwarren, even the Inn, and it’s also older. It looks like it should be falling apart, but it always stands no matter the weather.

There are a few kids playing around, new orphans. Lance doesn’t know where the witch got them from, considering she never left the old village, but they certainly weren’t from Dreadwarren. They must have been abandoned in the bog, or merchants dropped them off. Either way it wasn’t his business. He likes kids and all, but right now he’s tense and busy, too wound up from the path to play games. He just wants to get on with this meeting and go home.

He walks up to the altar house and pushes against the old door, the hinges creaking ominously while light flooded inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Look at us, at it again with more stories! This one is more creepy in the spirit of Samhain! Witch Lance and Fae Keith AU this time friends! Also, I have an instagrame now, msbluebellgarden.
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Here comes Halloween! It's not exactly 31 days of Halloween but close enough XD We'll be updating this frequently. We'll let you guys know next chapter when we decide on it. Happy readying! (Hopefully this Fae story gets more hits XD) If you like the fae or fairies, then you should read our other fae story. It's really good I promise! XD *whispers* shameless advertising but I can't help it XD
> 
> All credit goes to [nabaris](https://nabaris.tumblr.com/) for the art. You can find her original post on Tumblr [here](https://nabaris.tumblr.com/post/179934800477/witchlance-and-kittyfaekeith-from-one-of-my).
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

The inside of the house was dreadful, in Lance’s opinion, with years and years of wax blocking up the altar, and still with hundreds of lit candles to spare. The candles surrounded a tapestry and wood carved statue of a tree with a hundred screaming faces carved into the base, each one frozen in agnony. The tapestry contained an image of a Direwolf woven into its fabric, tall as a horse with blue and black fur, eyes staring through the very soul. Ontop the wolf was an image of a cloaked figure, face hidden from sight.

The other two witches were already there, both flanking a younger woman weeping into her hands, her hair a mess and clothes dirty. The witch from the other side of the bog, whose name he didn’t know, tsked, her bone-like hand rattling like the animal bones that hung from her clothes. The other witch, the one who lived here, was making eerie promises.

Neither of these women were doing shit to help the situation, apparently. Which meant it was up to him to figure out what was wrong _and_  fix it.

“What’s going on?” Lance asked as he walked in, his boots scruffing against the carpet.

The witch from the other side of the bog looked up, squinting at him, “This one’s sister stepped off the path like a fool. Now she’s gone.”

“A fae took her!” The hysterical woman cried, finally looking up. Her blonde hair was a mess, eyes red and puffy from crying, pale skin stark against the dirt that smugged her face. Both her ears were intact, meaning she wasn’t from the village. A merchant then? One that didn’t listen to the warnings, “J-Just swooped in and took her into the fog! She’s _gone_.”

“Swooping is bad.” The witch from the other side of the bog stated unhelpfully, shaking her head, bones rattling with the movement, “Your sister was a damn fool to step off the path. I left up signs warning people who enter the bog, but you didn’t listen. We can do nothing now.”

“Please!” The blonde girl clasped her hands, voice hitching, “You have to help me! She’s all I have!”

“There is nothing to be done.” The bone witch snapped harshly, “It may not have even been fae. A Leshen may have taken her, or a wraith may have slain her, or a kelpie may have drowned her. She is gone now, and you must face this.”

“No, no she’s still out there!” The woman sniffed, “I saw something grab her! She’s still alive! You have to help me get her back!”

“Only the protection of our god protects us from the numerous evils here.” The altar witch preached, “Even we three may not so freely enter the bog, least we be overrun and perish ourselves.”

“But that’s not a reason for us to overlook this.” Lance faced the two witches head on, hands clenched by his sides. Now he remembers why he doesn’t associate with the other two witches, other than the fact that they were both withdrawn from the village and unwilling to help the people that live there, “If we see someone in need of our help, we should help them. We have that power as witches.”

Lance was quick to note their stares of disapproval, looking at him the same way they always have ever since he’d met them. With those eyes that saw him as below them, an inexperienced and naive witch.

“I see that you’re still as naive as ever young Lance. But I shouldn’t have expected anything more of you. After all, you are only a young seventeen year old boy, just beginning to learn the ways of our life.” The bone witch bit out, her bones ever cracking, “Your mother was a witch of wisdom and wit. It would take no less than two hundred years for you to even come close to who she was.”

“Don’t bring my mother into this old hag.” The boy glared at her disapprovingly, kneeling down beside the crying girl and placing a reassuring hand on her back. He didn’t know who she was, or where she came from, but she reminded him of the reason he began making potions in the first place. It was to help other people, his friends and people who he came to see as family. He’d watched his mother heal others while he was young, admiring all the work she did while she was still with them.

She helped others with a smile, and he wanted to do the same. He may not know this girl but the way these two witches were treating her was unacceptable, “Don’t worry, we’ll find your sister.” He assured the girl who sniffed harder, looking at him with teary eyes. She seemed confused, a spark of hope appearing within her irises.

“R-Really? You will?” Her voice was shaky, but Lance tried to calm her further with a smile, nodding his head. But before he could say anything, the altar witch interrupted him.

“Your young age and ignorance will kill you young Lance.” She held her head high, eyes piercing as they bore into him, “As one of the three witches of Dreadwarren, you have a responsibility towards the god that protects us. As his messenger, I am able to carry his wishes and execute them. All three witches of Dreadwarren shall remain here, within the sacred ground protected by our god. Such is his wish.”

“I’m not privy listening to a god who demands we give him ears as offerings.” Blue eyes moved onto the image of a wolf that was on the altar, clenching his jaw, “If he wants us to listen, he shouldn’t demand we give him our ears.”

“Insolence! You watch your tongue or else the god will curse you rather than protect you!” The altar witch pointed her bony fingers at him, her skin practically hanging from it, barely holding onto the bone underneath, “If you were grateful for everything he’s done for us, you would have offered your ears.”

“I’m grateful.” Lance’s voice was even, despite him wanting nothing more than to yell at the two old hags in front of him, he was aware of the girl and her state. He had to take care of her, “But I can’t see myself giving my ears for his blessings.”

The altar witch hissed at him, holding onto her long stick, “Then perhaps a different offering would be more suitable. If you give the god your eyes, I’m sure he would-”

“We are getting sidetracked from the real problem on our hands.” The bone witch decided to interrupt them here, “We need to decide what to do with the girl here.”

“Give her as an offering to our god!” The altar witch chuckled, her laugh cracking, unpleasant for anyone that could hear it, “The god would accept her and then find her sister for us! Death is but a small price to pay, that is if you love your sister as dearly as you say.” Her chuckles got louder, sounding nothing short of a deranged person.

“Such a sacrifice is unneeded if the god didn’t ask for it.” The bone witch, at least, had more common sense than the other. She faced the girl again, eyes boring into her, “Your sister is lost to the forest and the bog. There is no way to get her back.”

“N-No way… No… She… She’s still out there! She-”

“It’s okay.” Lance pats her on the back, “I told you we’d find her, didn’t I? We just need to figure out who took her and where she is.”

“You’re such a fool. If you leave our protected lands you’ll be killed.” The bone witch warned, “For your mother’s sake, I’d like to keep you around for a bit longer.”

“At least I know you’re not as heartless as you seem to be.” But he couldn’t say the same for the altar witch. Lance doubted she thought about anything else other than the supposed god protecting them all. Instead he decided to focus his attention on the crying girl, comforting her as best he could, “What’s your name?”

“R-Romelle…” She sobbed, brushing away the tears from her eyes.

“Nice to meet you Romelle, the name’s Lance, or Lancey Lance if you prefer.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, trying to lighten up the mood, “Tell me a bit about what happened. Where are you from? Where was your sister taken? And did you see who took her? How do you know it was a fae?”

“I know it was a fae.” The girl, Romelle, seemed a lot calmer now, lowering her head in thought, “My sister and I were walking down the path to your village, but then she saw something within the fog and decided to step onto the grass. As soon as I knew it, this…humanoid figure snatched her and dragged her further into the woods. I know it was a fae because as it snatched her, its hand turned into vines, wrapping around my sister’s body for a tighter grip. It-It…”

“Vines for fingers?” The bone witch tapped her long finger against one of her bones, the over long nails making a tap-tap-tap sound as it hit, “Sounds like a dryad.”

“She touched no trees, only grass.” The altar witch hummed, her own withered hands scratching at themselves, “A dryad would have only taken her if she touched the trees.”

“A Ghillie Dhu then?” The bone witch tried again, her eyes flickering over the blonde girl, “Tall? Light green skin. Clothe in vines?”

“I-I don’t know.” Romelle sniffed, whipping her eyes, cheeks still swollen under her despair, “I-I didn’t see anything else. Just that they were tall.”

“So we have nothing.” The bone witch stated flatly, her eyes dead set on the girl, “No information, no solid idea if what took your sister is fae or monster, and nothing but danger. Child, she is lost to you now. The best you can do now is mourn her loss and set out funeral rites.”

“No!” The girl screamed, horrified, “She’s not dead!”

“We can’t just give up like that!” Lance cried as well, outraged. He stopped his foot angrily, glaring at the bone witch, “We don’t know if she’s dead or not! We have to at least try!”

“What would you suggest we do child?” The bone witch snapped, her bones rattling again, a frown deep on her lips, “March out into the bogs? Into the fog? Fight everything out there on our own? Even the three of us together couldn’t take the power of everything out there.”

“The girl took one step off the path and was snatched away.” The altar witched nodded, “She denied to protection of our god and paid the price!”

“That’s enough out of you!” The bone witch snapped at the other woman at the same time Lance yelled at her to “Shut up!”

“It was the truth.” The altar witch nodded, “You need only look towards the bones of long past villages to tell. They line these bogs, and she denied the faith anyway! Our god is the only thing between us and suffering as wraiths ourselves.”

The girl was crying all over again as the other two witches leveled harsh glares at the altar witch, both more than a little tired of her nonsense. This girl didn’t need to think her sister was a _wraith_  right now.

“We’re helping her!” Lance snapped, hands on his hips, “Just for that comment alone!”

“Don’t be a fool.” The bone witch snapped, “How will we do that when we can barely leave the path ourselves? Much less find a girl that may be dead?”

“There is a way to everything, as my mother used to say.” Lance bit his lip, unwilling to give into the desperate situation this girl found herself in. Sometimes people would stray off the path, going into the tall grass only to get themselves dragged away by various creatures lurking around. Everyone within the village, including the three witches, knew whenever someone would go missing, such was the advantage of their small population.

The villagers knew better than to risk their safety though, resulting in them not having a case of a missing person in over three years. It was a good sign for all of them, but it also made this situation harder to bear. It reminded Lance that, yes, there were creatures lurking outside of their village, waiting to attack them should they let themselves slip and stray away from protected land.

He felt pity for the girl. It was the first time he’d seen a relative of a kidnapped person plead for help like this, and knowing himself, he knew that he couldn’t stand idly by as this girl grieved her sister’s death. Not when she could be out there, well and alive. If she was captured by a fae, then there is a chance that she _is_ still alive. It only depends on what kind of fae captured her… And they can find that out if they venture out into the bogs and further into the deep forests where no human has ever gone before.

Lance came to a single possible answer to the problem, the only way he’d be able to venture out into dangerous lands by himself, “We’ll use a contract.” He looked up at the two witches, mind set on his answer, “If I made a contract with a powerful fae, I’ll be able to find this girl’s sister and bring her back to the village.”

“A contract?” The bone witch showed some form of concern while the altar witch chuckled in reaction. Lance ignored her in favour of focusing on the bone witch instead.

“Yes.” It was hard to ignore the amused laugh, but he tried, “If a Fae King is willing to protect our village, then there has to be a fae that would be willing to form a contract with me. As long as I lay out all conditions and make them clear, they won’t be able to hurt me.”

“That is madness.” The bone witch took out a large bone that was hidden underneath her black cloak, pointing it at the young boy with a rapid shake, “Making any kind of contracts with the fae is dangerous. It is possible and it did happen before, but it would be a massive risk. Lance, you know what the fae are capable of, your mother taught you this herself.” She moved the bone, pushing it into his shoulder, “You’re a clever boy but when in company of a fae it is easy to let yourself slip. They’re clever and mischievous beings, and they _will_  find a way to get to you. And if you’d like to survive out in the forest, you’d have to form a contract with a powerful fae. The more powerful a fae is, the riskier it is to interact with them.”

“I know the risks, and you _know_  that I’m not privy of the fae.” Lance reasoned, “But I also know that fae aren’t all black and white. There is more to them than meets the eye, just like the brownies.”

“Fuhuhu… If you wish to form a contract then you’d need to find yourself a fae as powerful as our god. Though I doubt they’d be as loving and powerful as he is.” The altar witch mused, more to herself than the other occupants of the room.

“My mother taught me how to conduct the ritual. It was one of the last things she did before passing.” Lance faced the bone witch fully, “I’ll state my conditions, they’ll state theirs and the contract will be formed. I _won’t_  let myself be enslaved to a fae, you can be sure about that.”

The bone witch remained quiet, looking at the brunette and the sobbing girl beside him. She lowered the bone she was holding up, hesitant in her decision, “It’s odd that you’d do all this for a girl you don’t know. I thought you valued your life much more than this.”

Her words were spot on because Lance _was_  worried about all of this. He barely knows this girl, a complete stranger he’d just met minutes ago. But it wasn’t just about this girl, it was about all of those living in the village, so used to fear that they learned to live with it. He hated his uselessness and the notion that he was unable to prevent Hunk from willingly cutting his ear off. Not just Hunk but Shay, Florona and Plaxum too. They shouldn’t have to be cutting their ears for safety, nor should they live in constant fear of dangers that lurk within the trees.

If he could make a change then he’ll do it. If bringing back this girl’s sister was a way to show others that they _had_  a chance of fighting back against these creatures, then maybe it was worth it, “My mind is set.” Lance spoke with resolve, “If you agree, then I’ll go and save Romelle’s sister before the fae do her harm.”

“You’re a fool child.” The bone witch scolded, shaking head in disappointment, “Go out to the bogs on your own then. Die a painful death, became a ghoul, or wraith, drown forever in the bog. Or don’t, make a contract, risk slipping and enthralling yourself. Don’t expect me to cry for your fool self when this comes back for you child.”

The bone witch is scowling, her lips pulled in the harshest snarl Lance had ever seen from her, and it occurs to him then that she’s been holding back her temper so far. Now he’s facing it head on, her brown eyes drilling into blue, and she’s a lot older and more intimidating than him, with hundreds of years of experience in her. He almost backs down, almost, but he swallows and keeps his jaw locked firmly.

“I think it’s a tremendous idea myself.” The altar witch spoke, a smile creeping its way along her lips. Lance had never liked the way she looked when she smiled, too wide on her narrow face, her beak like nose. He hates it even more now, when there’s a girl crying in this house, her sister gone. She’s a zealot, has been as long as he can remember, even longer he thinks, and it makes him uncomfortable how eagerly she goes around encouraging everyone to _cut off an ear_  for the god of this village.

The bone witch isn’t anymore happy with the altar witch than she had been with him now. The older woman turned, hands still on her hips, glare firm, “You should not be encouraging this madness!”

“What better way to teach a child?” The altar witch grinned, turning her narrow face to stare at the tapestry, her eyes roaming lovingly over the image of the wolf. It’s gross, the way she’s staring at it, like it was everything in the world. How anyone could be so devoted to something that demanded them to cut off body parts is beyond him. He gets the worship, however resentful he is of it, they  were only alive because of this wolf, but the loving devotion? He’d never get that.

“Teach him what?” The bone witch snaps, “Any lesson he could learn from this will be irrelevant if he slips even for a moment.”

“What better way to become closer to our god?” The altar witch cooed, she grabbed a long walking stick leaning against the wall, tapping it against the floor as she moved towards the altar, “To be so close...such an act can only be divine. If his mission succeeds it will be proof that the god does listen! That he sends his servants to aid!”

Lance’s lips curled into a sneer, “This isn’t about a god! This is about the fact that someone’s _sister_  is out there! Probably scared and alone! Helping is the right thing to do!”

“This isn’t about the right thing!” The bone witch turned back towards him, “It’s about the _best_  thing, and sometimes those don’t go hand in hand child.”

And that sounded like the dumbest thing that Lance had ever heard, so he squress his shoulders, meets her gaze, and puts his foot down, “My mind is made up.”

The bone witch gives up, giving an exasperated huff as she throws him one last glare, “We do not even know if this girl is telling the truth! There may _be_  no sister and she’s just a human trafficker trying to capture a witch.”

“Are you saying I’m _lying_?” The girl gasped, and Lance couldn’t help but yell again about the sheer heartlessness of the statement.

“I do not know you, and all you’ve done was ignore warnings and try to lead a young witch towards his death.” The bone witch hissed, her gaze flickering between the two of them, “I am too old and too untrusting to believe you. Tis why I have both ears. But go, if you must, walk towards evil, mama bone warned you both, and I’ll not shed a tear for foolishness.”

With that the bone witch left, storming out the room on wobbly legs, her twisted body moving faster than it should. Now the three witches were down to two, and the girl was left staring after the bone witch pitifully. The altar witch tsked, shaking her head, “Tis little patience that one has. I look forward to when our god finally takes her soul and rids us of her. She was never trusting of my words the way she ought to be.”

Lance decided to ignore the words of a deranged witch, instead watching as the bone witch’s figure slowly became smaller and smaller the further away she went. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt at her anger, aware that he was the reason she stormed out this way. The bone witch, as strange as she was, cared for their wellbeing. He knew that more than anyone, which is why he felt so guilty about all of this.

The bone witch wasn’t wrong, she was right. But even if he knew that her wisdom was well earned, he couldn’t just neglect the exhausted girl that came to them pleading for help. What if he found himself in the same situation? What if he was a mere human? What if a creature or a fae snatched his own sibling? His flesh and blood. Lance shuddered just thinking about it. He didn’t wish that upon anyone.

But just to be certain, he does decide to listen to the bone witch’s words. He turns to the girl, reaching out to place his hand on top of her’s, “I believe you.” He assured with an even voice, trying to be comforting, “But to put my mind at ease, I’ll look into your past.”

Romelle furrowed her brows at that, “How can you believe me if you need to look into my past?”

“I won’t dig deep.” Lance tried, “Tell me when your sister was taken and I’ll only go as far as that point in time.”

The girl seemed hesitant, body tense as she stared at him. The altar witch’s chuckles didn’t make the situation any easier on them, haunting them in their own bone chilling ways. Lance persisted, waiting for the girl’s answer while she fidgeted with her hands, clearly uncertain of the suggestion he made, “Fine.” But after a long minute she did agree, “If it’s what’ll take you to trust me then I’ll do it. My sister disappeared about half an hour ago while we were on our way to your village. You should see the tall grass and fog of the bogs within my memories.”

“Okay. I’ll need a strand of your hair for this.” He looked over the messy blonde hair, finding a strand that was hanging loosely off her dirty clothes. Taking the hair in his hand, he raised it up to lean against her forehead, “Close your eyes. I promise that you won’t feel a thing.”

Romelle nodded, doing as told. Lance closed his eyes as well, focusing on the strand of hair as well as the magic required to peek into the past. A gord at his hip shook, the goat's milk inside boiling, and light smoke leaked past the openings of his satchel. He wasn't doing the proper ritual, not at all, so the drain on his body was much, much, more exhausting than it needed to be. If he was smart he would have taken the time to set everything up, but he was in a hurry and finding a missing girl was his priority. An image slowly appeared within his mind, showing how the girl ran towards the worshipping grounds, her lungs out of breath.

No, he had to go back before this.

Lance focused on rewinding the events, going back in time and watching as everything happened from present time to the past.

Romelle was out of breath as she ran to the worshipping house.

Before that she was in the village with the bone witch.

Going backwards, Romelle ran into the bone witch’s house, panicked and besides herself as she panickingly asked the witch for her help.

Going further back, Lance saw her running into the village from the outskirts.

He was close.

Then he saw it. A girl with white hair was walking beside Romelle, spotting something in the distance that startled them both. The white haired girl took two steps off the path before a figure snatched her away.

Lance could see who it was clearly. A man with long white hair, pointy elf like ears and vines wrapped around the girl instead of fingers. The girl had a horrified expression as she was suddenly snatched, disappearing within the fog in seconds. He heard Romelle’s horrified scream, calling after her sister but too scared to go in after her. Instead she shook, deciding to head into the village and find help.

That’s when Lance moved his hand away, out of breath as the remains of those images washed over him, “You’re telling the truth.” He whispered, eyes landing on Romelle who slowly nodded, hands tightening around themselves.

“Please… You have to help me find her. If the person who took her was a fae, then they couldn’t have killed her.” The desperation was within her voice, and now that he had proof, Lance fully believed her. It didn’t help that he tried to imagine himself in this situation, pleading for the witches to help him.

 _Please_.

He felt himself shiver, moving to gently wrap his arms around the shaken girl, “Don’t worry. I’ll find your sister no matter what it takes.” He squeezed her tight, hoping that it would prove that he meant what he said. Romelle sobbed into his clothes, wrapping her own arms around him.

“Fufu… Your mother would have been proud child.” The altar witch mused, “Even if your mission fails, you’ll prove to be a worthy sacrifice to our dear god. A young witch’s blood will be sure to quell his thirst for years to come.”

Lance bit his lip, unwilling to listen to any more of the altar witch’s deranged musings. Instead he gently leaned away from the shaken girl, taking her hand, “Come on, we’ll get you a room in the Inn where you can wait for my return.”

“O-Okay.” Romelle agreed, standing up with Lance, taking steps out of the worshipping house. The altar witch’s chuckles followed them as they made their leave, haunting them even as they followed the trail of ears out and into the village.

He gets the girl settled into a room with relative ease, using his extra coin to help her pay while explaining the situation. The innkeeper was no more sympathetic than the bone witch had been, just muttering under his breath about how foolish they’d been and refusing to discount the girl, justifying that he still had to make money to live and that they had left plenty of warnings for travelers.

“If I gave a discount to every bleeding stranger that lost someone ignorin’ our warnings I’d make no money ‘at all.” The innkeeper spit after Lance had settled Romelle into her room for the night. She’d refused to go in on her own, leaving Lance to settle her in. The innkeep eyed the door warrily, the iron horseshoe meant to ward off fae hanging off the door, “Strangers ignore our warnings all the time, Lance, and this has been happenin’ since ‘fore yous was born. Don’t get too invested.”

Lance doesn’t tell him he’s already invested, having already been yelled at about it enough for the day. He leaves silently, his boots scraping down the familiar path as he makes his way back home, where he can _really_  get ready for what he has to do.

The walk back feels more ominous now, knowing that there’s a girl out there. He’s still distracted enough, and tired enough, that he ignores the eeriness. He knows no one else will help him, not even sweet and benevolent Hunk, who would be sympathetic, but would ultimately decide what Lance was doing was suicidal and too massively stupid to work. He doesn’t tell Hunk for that very reason, going straight home where he could conduct the ritual in private.

If he were smart he’d wait until tomorrow, but he doesn’t have time to waste. Every second that is wasted is another second that girl could die, or become enthralled, so he rushes into the house, ignoring his two cats, and sets out getting the ritual ready immediately. He grabs a chicken first, cutting it just enough to bleed on the floor. He draws out the small circle, letting go of the chicken as it scratched. Next he got the stored goat milk, placing it in a bowl, setting the bowl in the circle and crushing herbs into it as he poured out the magic needed. The candles lit, casting shadows properly over his spell.

He starts chanting, the old words spilling over his lips as the milk boils, the smell spilling into his cottage with its stench. He pours honey into the bowl, hoping the sweetness will entice a particularly powerful fae into finding him.

The mist outside his house thickens. It becomes so thick that the outside world is nothing but white. He keeps chanting, the flames rising and falling as the magic burned through.

Something forms in the mist, he can see it from his opened door. It’s humanoid, thank goodness, and it’s forming shape, becoming larger and larger as it comes closer towards him. Suddenly, Lance isn’t sure about all this, the nervousness chilling his insides and making goosebumps rise on his skin. But it’s too late to turn back now, and the form steps inside, stepping through the misty barrier and into Lance’s home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Lance, honey, sweetie, sugar lips, noooooooooo. Listen to the old lady. XD On another note, I'm finally getting back on track with my personal life. xD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Tunnn... tunnn... Stay safe Lance <3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

It's beautiful. _He’s_  beautiful. He’s a pale thing, with longish black hair and _violet_  eyes. He steps through the doorway slowly, those violet eyes flickering over everything warily as he creeps along. There’s an equally violet line on one cheek, or maybe some sort of magical scar? Either way it’s easy to see it with the clothes he was wearing. He’d never seen such...revealing clothes before. It was an assortment of barely there silken shirt that hid nothing, feathers on on arm guard, strange jewellery made of gems and stones he’s never seen before, and a crown of leaves.

“How strange.” The fae speaks, his voice deep, eyes still roaming over the cottage, “Tis not often one risks summoning my kind.”

Lance steels himself, pushing back the uncertainty, “I wish to make a contract.”

The fae hummed, eyes flickering over Lance’s form, “Alright.”

“I need to know who I’m about to contract.” Lance speaks, his voice steady. It’s not quite a question, but it’s close.

The fae nods, “A king, a child of the Morrigan.”

“Wha-!” Lance stops himself before he could finish the word, his own tanned hands flying to cover his mouth. His eyes widened, staring up at the fae in front of him. No, no… Nope! Nah! Ah! No way did he just summon a _king!_ That wasn’t possible! Sure he has confidence in his powers but this? This was hard to believe.

Lance clears his throat, unwilling to believe so he repeats himself, “I need to know who I’m about to contract.” He places his hands on his lap, looking at the creature in front of him. He hopes he didn’t make a wrong move by asking again, but if the fae’s expression was anything to go by, he’d say that it’s a weird start.

“I already told you. A king, and a child of the Morrigan.” His brows furrowed a tiny bit, noting the way Lance tensed.

_Holy shit._

Now it was time to panic because while he did expect a powerful fae to show up, he didn’t expect him to be _this_  powerful. A child of the Morrigan? This guy was practically a god. Wait… was he a guy? He must be since he doesn’t have breasts but damn! Could have fooled him.

It still didn’t make a difference though, since he _is_  a king. Oh ancients! What’ll he do? His mother certainly didn’t prepare him for this.

“State your conditions witch.” The fae snapped him out of his thoughts, making Lance jump up. Their eyes met for a brief moment before a hissing sound caught the fae’s attention. Lance _paled_  when he spotted both Blue and Red on the wooden cabinet, hissing and ready to jump up the _king_.

Lance scrambled, trying to save all of their lives before this fae kills them all. He managed to make it to the two cats, catching them both. However, they both scratches at him, or Red did, “Ouch!” Red managed to get out of Lance’s hold, jumping down to the ground and walking towards the fae, hissing at him furiously.

Lance managed to hold onto Blue but he held in his breath, fearing that imminent death was near. There was no saying that he was surprised when the fae blinked, kneeling down before reaching out his hand towards the cat. Red somehow stopped hissing just then, standing in place before rubbing his body against the pale hand.

What?

Lance _stared_  because nobody had managed to win Red over that easily before, _nobody_. He decides that he’ll play this cool. It must be a good sign that the fae didn’t kill him yet… right? He thinks it is, “Free my cat.” He stands, facing the other head on, “Whatever magic you cast on him, dispel it. You’re leaving a terrible first impression on your future contractor.” He won’t show fear, the fae may catch on it if he did. He thinks he’ll be able to run away if worst comes to worse but he’s not a coward. He didn’t expect a fae like this to show up but… he’ll use it to his advantage.

Violet eyes moved onto him, brows furrowing further, “You’d be wise to approach me carefully. I could end you with a snap of a finger if I wanted to.”

“Is tha-” His hands flew to his mouth, preventing himself from asking a question. Okay, this will be harder than he thought, “I won’t be intimidated.” Lance stated firmly, gaining his composure, “Fae are notorious for tricking humans in all sorts of ways. For all I know, you may not be who you claim to be.”

“Tis a fool who would pretend to be what they are not.” The fae states, his tone flat, like he was already bored of this conversation. His eyes flickered over Lance again, the pale irises drilling into him, judging him. His hand continued to brush against Red’s fur, slowly, methodically, “If you do not wish the contract then I will simply leave you.”

Lance frowned, because he couldn’t have _that_  either. It took a lot of magic to get the fae’s attention, and he didn’t want to waste more trying to find another, possibly much weaker, fae. He took a breath, calming his fast beating heart. The creature stood there, disconcertingly still, no sign he was even breathing, the only part of him moving was the hand that continued to stroke Red, the hostage. The creature was a terrible sight to behold.

“I simply wish to confirm identities before our contract.” Lance tried to justify, willing the fae to believe him, his fingers tightening around Blue, who was still hissing in his arms, “Nothing more.”

“I am who I said.” The fae speaks back, his tone isn’t offended, at least, which Lance takes as a good sign. The fae steps forward, and Lance had to repress a shiver as it moved closer, studying Lance’s work, snooping the herbs and studying the trinkets as it circled the room. Blue eyes locked on the creature, not daring to look away for even a moment.

“You smell young.” The fae spoke as he leaned over Lance’s caldron, the iron empty for now, “Too young to have been given a title.”

He was right. Lance hadn’t earned a title yet like the bone witch or the altar witch, he was still trying to establish his reputation and identity. He’s hoping to become someone renown for his potions, or something interesting and powerful sounding. Still, he hadn’t been granted one _yet_ , so he shook his head, “I’ve not yet spread my reputation.”

The fae hummed, “It takes time.”

They were locked in the conversation now, introductions made, an idea of what they were getting into established. Now they knew somewhat what to expect, and by somewhat he means he has no idea because fae kings were out of his depth and his own lack of title doesn’t give the fae much to expect, and probably didn’t endear him either.

Still, the fae hadn’t left yet.

The raven haired creature circled the room, studying the dried herb hanging off the ceiling, eyeing long dried murals of old creatures. His spellbook is on the bench, a hasty copy of the family spellbook given to his eldest brother, with his own additions made as he studied what could and couldn’t be done with potions. Beside that were old parchment, another copy of the family bestiary his sister Veronica took, deciding she wanted to focus her magical efforts on studying monsters better.

The fae studied these things, probably sizing up whether Lance was worth a contract. He seemed to come to a decision quickly enough, because he turned on his heel and faced Lance, his arm still stroking Red, “Tell me what you hope to gain from this contract.”

“There’s a girl that was taken by the bog.” Lance explained. He leaves out the part where another fae likely was what took her, knowing that the fae would probably be less likely to accept the rigid terms Lance would set for him if he knew, “I wish to retrieve her.”

“This bog is crawling with monsters.” The fae stated factually, eyeing the bestiary, “She may very well be dead now. She may have even become a wraith by now.”

Lance swallowed, his nervous energy built back up. He was _much_  less willing to argue with this creature than the bone witch, knowing the witch would never hurt him. This creature however? Fae were tricky at the best and most benevolent of times, and Lance still hadn’t discerned his mood yet. Not only that, but he was the child of the infamously powerful and ill tempered Morrigan, so he had to play it safe.

“I know she may very well be.” Lance tried instead, he wouldn’t tell the fae his certainty the girl was alive and that he’d find her, deciding to try and come off as compassionate but reasonable instead, “And if she is then I would like to put her to rest and return the body. If we happen to find her alive all the better, and we can return her to her family.”

The fae nodded, humming, “A reasonable wish, if a dangerous one.”

Violet eyes flickered back outside, on the dirt path, “Though I am uncertain to why she was taken when the path is provided protection.”

“She is a stranger to the village and did not know to keep away from even the grass.” Lance informed, his fingers twisting in Blue’s fur as his heart raced, “I simply wish to see her put to rest. She is not of my people, and her spirit will not have made peace with her fate the way ours would.”

The fae hummed again, but didn’t argue back the way Hunk, or the bone witch, or anyone else in the village would have. Lance didn’t want to be grateful for this, knowing that it wasn’t a sign of understanding, but he was the only one that doesn’t argue that they couldn’t help the girl, that it was her own fault for ignoring the warnings, even if he believed it was he at least didn’t say it.

Instead the fae tilts his head, nodding a bit, content now that he knew what he was getting into, “So your wish is that I aid you in finding this girl, dead or alive, and helping either return her to family or be put to rest.”

“Yes.” Lance nodded, swallowing nervously, “That is what I want.”

The fae nodded, rolling the information over in his head, likely working out the minor detail and wording in his mind, looking at every loophole and logical fallacy in the plan. He seemed to find nothing wrong with it and nodded, eyes locking on to Lance’s, “I assume you know that contracts are not one sided.”

“Of course.” Lance nodded, his insides twisting, “I did not expect your aid for free.”

“You’ll sacrifice lovely things for me.” The fae states certainly, already knowing what he wanted, “I’ll not ask for your first born or name like most, I want neither, what I want is piousness. Leave me a lovely gift once a week, every week, for a years time of passing. Whisper me kind things as you leave them on your doorstep. I may even bless more paths for you if they’re lovely enough.”

“Wait, you want to-” Lance paused before he could say anything else, holding Blue tighter against his chest. It honestly surprised him that the fae would want piousness, out of all of the things he could have demanded. Lance wasn’t willing to give up his name, and he’d never give up his first born, but he still came to terms that he’d need to sacrifice /something/. It never occurred to him that the fae would say this, much less specify the when he wanted it to end.

It was more than confusing and reeked of a catch. There had to be something he was overlooking, but thinking back on what the fae said, he doesn’t see a problem with it.

All he has to do is leave a present on his porch once a week, as well as say sweet things that the fae would like to hear. It seemed… too easy… “There’s a catch.” Lance narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "There’s something I’m missing here.”

“I’ve stated my terms.” The fae’s voice was even, hand moving to stroke at Red’s fur, “Agree to it or reject it. If you do, I’ll leave.”

Lance bit his lip because while it was strange that a fae would ask this, it was also an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Contract a fae king without actually having to give up a name, child, body part, blood, or enslave yourself to them? This was _much_  better than he thought he’d ever get.

He had to take it.

He didn’t know why the fae would ask for _this_ , considering that fae are known to have many lovers, he decided not to question it for now. It would be safer to agree to the contract before attempting to anger the fae. Once the contract is all done and set, he can risk it, “I agree to your terms.”

The fae’s lips curved, making Lance shiver. The witch took a step back as the fae took a step forward, leaning his face closer to his own, “Then we’ll seal the deal with a geas.” He let Red jump from his arms when a circle suddenly appeared underneath them. Blue followed suit, the two felines running away to safety as the circle glowed a bright red colour. Fog that was outside began to swirl like a tornado around the cottage, it’s strong winds managing to knock some of Lance’s books, bottles and plant pots down onto the floor.

Lance’s blue eyes began to glow in blue color, unaware of it as he stared into the violet glowing orbs of the fae. His breath hitched when he noticed a line appear on the fae’s neck, glowing in blue. Lance knew what it meant, touching his own neck where he knew a similar mark would be.

If one decides to disobey the contract, they’ll have their head cut and die.

The witch should have expected this but he still couldn’t prevent his body from freezing up, experiencing something like this for the first time in his life. It was one thing to read about it but a completely different thing to actually experience it.

His breath hitched when he felt the fae’s pale hand against his cheek, his sharp nails trailing down to his lips, scratching his lower lip to make it bleed. Lance moved his hands to hold onto the other’s arms, unable to stop what was to come.

The fae bit his own lip with one of his sharp canines, making it bleed before leaning closer, capturing the other into a kiss. Lance felt the blood between them, in their mouths as they kissed. His eyes widened, startled, feeling the fae move away as quickly as he leaned forward. The marks on their necks glowed, settling into their skin and intending to stay there until both their promises were complete.

Wind blew harshly on all sides, shaking Lance’s poor cottage before calming down. The tornado outside began dispersing as well, the magical circle that was under them vanishing. Lance felt his legs give away, falling onto his knees and touching his neck. This was it.

This was a geas. If he doesn’t obey it, he dies.

“The contract is sealed.” The fae hummed in satisfaction, “It cannot be changed until our vows are complete.”

“Y-You! You kissed me!” Lance looked up at him, one hand touching his neck while other was pointing at the fae accusingly, “You didn’t mention that this was a part of the deal!”

“It wasn’t a kiss.” The fae rolled his eyes, “We exchanged drops of blood to seal the contract. Nothing more.” His violet eyes kept staring into blue judgingly, “Humans really are silly beings.”

“You brute! Oh no! I won’t let this go.” Lance pushed himself up on his feet, pulling open his shelves to find a mirror he knew was there, “This was a /kiss/. Oh my god!” He found the mirror, pointing it to himself to asses the damage. The first thing he saw was his bloodied lip, and then the mark around his neck. Still red in color while the fae’s own was blue. Pulling on the knowledge he had of geas, he couldn’t really tell if it was a good or a bad thing, or if the colors meant anything.

Witches knew about geas but they don’t know anything about how they’re formed. Well… this answers it, “To form a geas, you need to exc-” Lance stopped himself, cursing the fae and their finding questions rude, “We needed to exchange a drop of blood.” Lance stated, trying not to make it sound like a question.”

“A drop is enough for the geas.” The fae nodded, folding his arms, “This was the most efficient way of doing it. It’s not uncommon.”

Lance shouldn’t have expected anything less, “You know, I could have cut my palm. That would do just as fine.”

“The contract is sealed.” The fae narrowed his eyes at him, seeming a bit annoyed now, “It cannot be changed anymore.”

“All I’m saying is that you didn’t have to kiss me.” Lance scolds, crossing his arms as he glared at the creature, “I could have cut my palm just as easily.”

“Never cut the palm to draw blood.” The fae advised, turning to snoop around Lance’s things again. The witch was more annoyed now that he wasn’t walking on tip toes hoping to settle into a contract, but he still wasn’t foolish enough to snap at the fae to leave his books alone either. The fae just reached out a hand and flipped a page of the bestiary, flipping through it as he spoke, “Cutting the palms damages the veins in the hands, which will make you lose their use when you become older. It’s more efficient to cut the back of the arm or split the lip like I have done.”

Great, now he’s getting advice.

Blue eyes didn’t move from the nosey fae, who was still flipping through the book. The fae grew bored of it eventually, abandoning his reading to face Lance again, violet eyes locking onto him as he spoke again, “I assume we’ll be hunting down the girl in the bogs then.”

“Yes.” Lance nodded, his lips thinning as he got down to business. He crossed over towards a window, pointing out the glass and into the mist, “The girl was on the path when she stepped onto some grass. From there she was spirited away. I got a description of her when I checked what happened in the sister’s memory. She’s tanned skinned, darker than me, blue eyed, long white hair. She was taken by something.”

The fae straightened up, frowning deeply, “You said she has silver hair.”

“Yes.” Lance nodded, “She had silver hair.”

The fae was frowning _very_  deeply now, “You didn’t mention the girl was an old woman.”

“She’s not.” Lance shook his head, “She looked very young. Not much older than me.”

 _Now_  the fae was frowning _very_  deeply, “Witch...silver hair is a _fae_  trait. Only old humans and humans with fae blood have it.”

Lance paused, staring at the fae confusingly, “No it’s not.”

“Yes it is.” The fae’s frown deepened further and further, “The girl you’re looking for is most likely part fae.”

The witch remained quiet, standing in place as he blinked. White hair meant someone had fae blood? Where did that come from? Nobody ever told him that, not even his mother, “You’re joking.” He chuckled nervously, “That has to be it! You’re trying to trick me!”

“We’re under a contract.” The creature hissed, “I wouldn’t joke about this. My head is on the line here, quite literally.”

Lance _paled_  but a part of him still couldn’t believe that the girl was part fae. No… It couldn’t be. He saw it himself, the girl was taken hostage by that white haired man. She didn’t go willingly, she was kidnapped, he knows that much.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” The creature took a step toward him, facing him head on as he moved in front of him, “You mean to tell me that you didn’t know she was part fae and that you naively accepted her plea for help.” He paused, feeling dread creep upon him, “You really didn’t know.” And now he was stuck in this situation, forced to help the naive witch find this woman, or fae.

“S-She’s not a fae!” Lance refused to believe it, pushing the fae further away from him so that they weren’t that close, “I know _who_  I’m looking for and I know that she’s no fae. She can’t be! She was kidnapped by one!”

“Kidnapped by a fae?” The creature’s eyes widened, eyes narrowing further before grabbing Lance by the collar of his shirt, “Don’t test me.”

“Hah! _I’m_  the one who is forced to give you gifts every week! I _know_  that the girl is waiting for me to bring back her sister, and I’ll do just that! All you’re doing is trying to trick me, as if I can’t see through what you’re trying to do!” Lance leaned his pointer finger against the other’s chest, “And you have to help me now. There’s no going back.”

The witch flinched when a large force pinned him against the wall, holding him against it as ice spread from the creature’s hand onto his clothing, “Now that we’ve made a contract, I think you’re letting your mouth run loose around me. Only because we’re in a contract doesn’t mean I can’t harm you.”

Lance shivered, feeling the cold ice spread, “I don’t believe what you’re saying, and even if you’re telling the truth, that girl really might have been kidnapped. Even if she’s part fae doesn’t mean that she’s not in danger. What if her sister is human? What if they’re half sisters? I won’t ignore that plea for help.” His lips curved as he met the fae’s eyes, trying his luck at fighting back, “I’m still not as bad as you though. Gifts and sweet words are given by lovers. Without any feelings behind them they’re useless. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that you’re playing with me. It’s all a part of your trickery.”

“You’re an idiot.” The fae hissed, a lot less amused and a lot less pleasant than he’d been before. Now he was scolding, his lips pulled into a snarl, those violet eyes melting into something almost hateful. Lance really was testing his limits here, and he was becoming suddenly _very_  aware of the power imbalance between the two of them.

“No part of the contract said you had to live.” The fae’s voice had gone low, very low, “Nor did you say that I couldn’t hurt you, or leave you to die. All you said was that I had to return the girl to her family.”

The ice is spreading up his neck now, the fae’s face forming shadows, inhumane and inconceivable to Lance’s mind, solid and slippery all at once, and so terribly, terribly, beautiful. It’s like his mind can’t truly understand what he’s seeing, like the boy’s face was every cave and river in the land, his eyes twisting, still violet, but with white dogs running through the sky.

That’s when Lance realized he was going to die here.

He tried to kick back, tried to fight, but everything was becoming so _cold_. This was death, he realized, this was death given a body. These icy hands were death, and these shadows were death, and those dogs were death. He was going to _die_  because he was an _idiot_  and lost his temper at a _literal god_.

And the fingers let go of his neck, and he dropped to the floor. He coughed, gasping for breath, tanned fingers reaching up to scrap away the ice still decorating his neck. He blinked away tears, the splotches of black slowly fading away as his vision cleared and Lance found himself facing the fae again, back to his terribly beautiful but still humanoid form.

“You were lied to.” The fae states, hands on his hips, expression back into something not enraged, but not happy either. He seemed more annoyed than anything else, like he hadn’t almost just killed Lance. The fae turned to stare out of the window, an annoyed huff leaving his lips, “The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can move on.”

“Y-You…” Lance gasps, his throat still sore from the fae’s abuse. He crawls up the wall, leaning against the wood for support as he stands, “You almost killed me!”

“You’re more useful alive than dead for now, even if you are despicably rude.” The fae states, wrinkling his nose, “If I were less merciful you _would_  be dead right now.”

“That wasn’t very merciful!” Lance rages, glaring at the fae, “You almost _killed_  me.”

“Another fae would have asked for a lot more of you for a much easier contract.” The pale face turns to him, “Even something as simple as a púca would have demanded your first born, or both your eyes.” The fae took a menacing step forward, “I only asked for gifts, not even your eyes or your voice or your skill in witchcraft. Just nice things, because we fae love sweet things. Then when I warn you that you’ve been tricked, and you return my generosity with insults, accusations, and _questions_.”

He takes another step forward, hands still on his hips, eyes fixing into another glare, “Don’t mistake me. I have been _very_  generous to you and yours. Any other fae would have _slaughtered_  you and finished their end of the contract, as well as washed their hands of you. Maybe they wouldn’t even remembered they killed you the next day.”

He takes one more step, and Lance realizes he has an inch or two on the guy only because the fae is that close, his glare tilted upwards to meet blue, “I have _nothing_  to gain from lying to you. Not going with you to find that girl and fulfill my contract will mark my death.”

The fae reached up, touching Lance’s cheek, almost like a lover would, except this was a fae and Lance isn’t sure if they have the same idea of intimacy as humans. The noriette spoke either way, his glare softening, voice going more compassionate now, “That girl? Maybe she was human, maybe she was fae, either way she hid that from you and tricked you into helping. She’s a liar and she played you. Accept that as a lesson learned, pick yourself up, and move on. Tis not the end. We have to find her sister, we will fulfill this contract, and we will forget this nonsense prank ever happened.”

“Prank.” Lance’s mind filled with a buzzing sound, dread filling his stomach.

“Some fae, like myself, will take a human form and play pranks on humans like yourself.” The noriette stated factually, his hand still on Lance’s cheek, “They like to play tricks to amuse themselves, see what you’ll do. I never saw the appeal myself, but if it’s a harmless game they set up than the sister should come back willingly when we find her.”

Violet eyes turned to look out the window, his hand still touching Lance’s cheek as he stared into the mist, “And, if by some chance, you’re correct and the girl who asked for your aid is human and her sister is half fae than we’ll find her sister, or her sister’s remains, and return her. Perhaps with a warning that monsters find half fea delicious next time.”

Lance wasn’t going to lie, he was shaken and unwilling to accept that the fae managed to play him like this. He tried to remember Romelle, the girl who was crying and pleading for them to save her sister. Were those tears really fake? What about her torn clothes? Or messy hair? Was all of it done for a _prank_  like this?

Yeah, to a fae, this would be a good joke to play on unsuspecting humans. Especially on naive ones such as himself. Then again, there’s a chance that Romelle is really human, so he wasn’t willing to blame her for all of this just yet. He might be a fool for not doing so but he wanted to believe her. The memories he’d seen proved that she was telling the truth but whether that was set up… he didn’t know.

Quiznak, he should have looked further into her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: I adore Keith, okay? My fav. And you bet I'm going to celebrate his birthday tomorrow. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: We forgot to mention this but we'll be updating every day until Halloween XD Keith's birthday is tomorrow! Can't wait to see Steven's stream <3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 4

Blue eyes flickered onto the fae’s face, watching the pale figure as he stared out the window. He didn’t know why, didn’t want to fall into the same trap again, but he thinks he can believe this creature for now. Not fully, but he thinks he can trust him for now.

This fae was both humanlike and death like, showing his true face only when angered. It would be wise of Lance to tread warily with this one, especially since he is a god of death. He didn’t know whether to be terrified or thankful for the creature, but one thing he can say for certain is that he’s uncomfortable in the position they were in.

A traitorous blush spread across his face as he tried to sneak his way out of the strange position they were in. This fae had no sense of personal space, none at all. The bastard even went ahead and kissed him, which okay, maybe he was making a big deal out of it, but how could he not?

Lance had never kissed anyone before, making this his first kiss.

Wait… could that even count as a first kiss? He prayed to the heavens that it _didn’t_  count as one because from a young age Lance wanted his first kiss to be special. It may be dumb but he’d fantasised having his first kiss for _years,_ and he wasn’t about to let this fae steal it.

“O-Okay!” Lance moved, sneakily stepping to the side so that he could evade the fae’s hold. The creature blinked when he noticed Lance move away, watching as the witch took further steps to create distance between them, “I’ll believe your words. I don’t think you’d lie with the contract and all but as a human I have to be careful. You said it yourself, fae love to prank us.”

Only when he was a few feet away did he feel better, sitting down on a chair nearby, “I may have been tricked, well, I most definitely was, but I’d still like to help them. We’ve formed a contract so we’ll have to find her whether or not this is all a prank or not, but even if we didn’t, my conscious would be eating away at me. Until I know what the truth is, I won’t be able to sleep at night. Not when I have the power to save the girl.”

The fae hummed, crossing his arms as his violet eyes turned to Lance, “As a witch you do have the force to take down lesser creatures but you should know that many more dangerous beings live within the bogs. You wouldn’t stand a chance against them.”

“And that’s why I have you to help me.” Lance pointed a finger gun at him, “You don’t seem that bad, apart from trying to kill me, you pass the test.” He leaned against the chair, Blue jumping into his lap. He pats the feline, eyes unmoving from the fae, “I think you’re weird for accepting the contract so easily, but hey, I get your help and you get your gifts. It works out.”

The fae kept staring at him, lips lips curving just a tad bit. It made Lance nervous for some reason, deciding to ask an important question instead, “So what can I-” He stopped himself just short of asking, cursing the fae culture for all it was.

How was asking questions a bad thing? How was he suppose to ask anything?

“Uhmmm… your… name.” Lance tried, noting the quick furrowing of the fae’s brows, holding his hands up in the air, “No, no, no! Wait! I didn’t mean your true name.” Lance tried to assure, “I want to know what I should call you. Now that I think about it, we didn’t introduce ourselves yet.”

He stood up from the chair, taking careful steps towards the fae yet not getting that close. But he was close enough so that he could shake the other’s hand, “My name is Lance. Of course I’m not giving you my full name, but you can call me Lance.”

“Lance.” The fae tested the name, his smooth voice rolling the word. The pale face hummed, looking at the tanned boy again, “Then we should go now Lance.”

The brunette blinked, confused, before yelping, “But I need something to call you! And to gather things to keep me safe! And I can’t just keep calling you “the fae”, or else it’s going to get real confusing real fast.”

The pale figure tilted their head, “Call me whatever you will.”

Now that wasn’t fair. Couldn’t this guy just give him a fake name? Or a nickname? He was making things so frustrating when they didn’t have to be. Lance groaned, rubbing his forehead before nodding, “Fine then, mullet, I’ll just get what I need and then we can go.”

“Mullet.” The fae nodded seriously, closing his eyes for a moment and nodding in satisfaction, “That is what I will answer to then.”

Lance jerked, started, blinking in confusion at the fae, “Wait wh- I mean...hold on. Mullet.”

“Yes.” The fae nodded, “I will use that for my name during the contract.”

It occured to Lance, suddenly, that this guy was either going along with a prank himself, or he honestly didn’t know what a mullet was. Lance blinked, suddenly wondering just how much this guy knew about humans, “Like the hair.”

The fae blinked at him, like a confused puppy.

“You don’t know what a mullet is.” Lance stated in disbelief.

“A human name.” The fae blinked, tilting his head and frowning, “One you just gave me. Now we should be going. If the girl truly is only part fae by some chance than we have very little time.”

“Wait, no, it’s not a human name. It’s the type of hair you have.” Lance pointed at the black hair, “That is a mullet, and quite the monstrosity if I may say so myself.”

The fae frowned, “You’re insulting me again.”

Lance winced, “I can _not_  insult someone with a hairstyle like that. Pray tell what made you style your hair like that?”

“I like it.” The fae was becoming annoyed again so Lance decided to let it drop. Ugh… Even though it was a mullet… _mullet_.

“Fine, but Mullet isn’t a human name. Fine by me if you want to be called that but to spare you the shame I’ll call you…” What would fit this death god? Ancients, Lance was _so tempted_  to keep calling him Mullet but it wouldn’t be fair if he doesn’t know what it means, or that it’s an insult. Curse his weak little heart, “How about Jack? Eddy? Steve?” Lance hummed, hand on his chin, “Or maybe you’d like something more common? Let’s see… Keith? That would suit you.”

When his eyes turned back to the fae, he froze, noting the angry look on his face. Did he do some-Oh… He asked questions, “I can’t help it! Humans ask questions a lot.” He tried to justify himself, willing to move around it, “I think Keith is a good name for you.”

The fae _stared_  at him judgingly, turning to think about the name. He seemed in deep thought which was weird, since Lance didn’t think it’d take him long to choose a name after accepting Mullet so easily.

“I like it. You shall address me as Keith from now on.” The fae agreed, thankfully not mad at him, “We need to go now Lance. Every second we waste is precious.”

“Wait, give me a minute!” Lance busied himself gathering his things, packing a few potions, spare clothes, and other items he’d need. He made sure to grab his trusty wand, as well as a witch’s hat that carried secrets of its own.

He made sure Blue and Red had enough water and food to last them for at least a week, creating his own system of feeding them while he was away. Magic does wonders in a way that it helped him take care of Blue and Red while he was away. He won’t go into detail as to how he’s managing it, but it’s an efficient system.

“I’m ready mullet.” Lance turned to the fae, satchel by his side, full of items inside. He wasn’t sure how long it would take them to find the girl but it couldn’t be more than a week. Would it?

“But I’m Keith.” The fae frowned confusingly.

“I know. Mullet is your nickname while Keith is your name. Take it as is.” Lance teased, walking out of the cottage house along with Keith, saying his last goodbyes to Blue and Red before his journey would begin.

This was it. This was the point he would step into the forest for the first time since he was born. Blue eyes tried to look through the fog, unable to see anything else but a tall tree further away. Once he steps away from the path, he’ll be out of their protected lands.

Keith doesn’t hesitate, stepping off the path easily and without even a glance back. The grass just off the path goes midway up his shins, parting for him almost fearfully. Lance gulps, his own feet touching the grass for the first time. It doesn’t part for him the same way, instead tickling against his exposed ankles.

The air just _feels_  different the moment he steps off the path, the fog rolling in thicker than it had ever been before, the air so heavy that he almost chokes on it. He can’t see Keith through the dense white, but he feels the hand wrap around his wrist.

“I’ll lead you through the worst of it.” Keith’s voice sounds, and Lance has no choice but to follow as he’s pulled along.

There’s laughter everywhere, horrible, terrible laughter. There are wails too, long death wraiths screaming with their ghostly and inhuman echos, the noise bouncing off the ankle high water Lance finds himself walking in now. There are ghouls here, he realizes, ghouls everywhere. When the fog clears up a bit he can see them, their half rotted bodies trapped within the mud beneath the pools, their boney, rotted, hands reaching out for them.

Keith had been swerving, leading Lance around them and just out of reach.

There’s a form a few feet into the fog, a woman’s inhuman shriek echoing against the pools. She is floating, strung up like she’s on puppet strings, her spectral body contorted and twitching in a way that made it seem like she wasn’t in control. A tongue left the lips, a good two feet longer than it should be and floating snakelike from her mouth. He can’t see her features and he’s glad for it, he never wants to see what a wraith truly looks like.

Keith’s magic must be keeping the worst of the worst away, Lance thinks, because she and several other forms just like her circle past, like they weren’t even aware that the area around them existed. The pale hand tightens against his wrist, leading him in a swerved path down the bog’s waters.

“I’ve yet to sense anything.” Keith muses, his voice low, “Though, we haven’t gone that deep.”

“That must be a good sign then.” Lance kept looking around them, holding onto his satchel tightly. He felt as if _something_  would appear out of the fog and leap at them both, killing them in an instant. They probably wouldn’t kill Keith, but he was free game. Suddenly he realised what a fool he was for thinking that he could _ever_  venture out into the bogs all alone.

This was his _home_ , a place that should be dear to anyone’s heart. Yet here Lance was, terrified as he walked the waters, holding onto the fae in front of him tightly. The most disturbing thing was that they didn’t venture that far and there were already so many creatures they passed. He didn’t see any of them, but he could tell by the sounds alone that the forest was full of all kinds of beasts.

“The fog is thick.” Lance almost whispers, not daring to let go of Keith’s hand.

“It is. Just a bit further and we’ll walk out of it.” Keith let him know, relieving him just a tiny bit. Though the sudden screams of a woman didn’t help his poor heart that was beating frantically within his ribcage.

“Hmmm…. Hmmm…”

Keith paused in his tracks as a humming voice sounded, Lance bumping behind him due to the sudden stop, “W-What’s w-” The brunette stopped himself short of yet asking another question, staying close to the pale fae instead. The last thing on his mind right now was fae etiquette, and he couldn’t help it. Not when there were strange voices all around, whispering sweet promises of death that echoed throughout the bog.

 “Poor little witch, stepping out of the path.” A voice mused, and this time Lance _did_  hold onto his wand just in case. His other hand held onto Keith tightly, looking around them as if they could see through the fog.

“Your blood will five fruit to the dark trees of the forest.” The voice chuckled amusingly, sounds of branches accompanying the voice. Was this creature sitting on a branch? Because it sounded like it was.

 Keith untensed beside him, rolling his eyes before leaning one hand on his hip, “Very funny Pidge. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you came to cause mischief on my territory.”

 Huh? Lance blinked, blue eyes moving onto Keith. Did he know this creature? Whatever the case may be, he was staying close to the said fae.

 A girl’s laugh echoed through the area, the sound of branches rustling following as the voice spoke again, “I came to visit you, but then I saw a witch on you and couldn’t resist the temptation.”

 “Back off Pidge.” Keith huffed, annoyed, “I’m working on a contract.”

 “Another contract.” The voice snickered, “You keep making those. Your fascination with humans is going to get you in trouble one day.”

 “You’re hardly one to judge.” Keith spoke vaguely towards where the voice must have been coming from, “I know you’ve been snooping around metals again. That will get you in far more trouble than my study of humans.”

 Wait? _Study_? Is that why Keith had bothered with the contract? But why would he need to _study_  humans? They weren’t complicated. It was fae who were backwards and weird.

 “My studies will contribute to our power!” The voice spoke defensively. The creature responsible jumped down from wherever she was, landing just in front of Keith, giving Lance a good look at her. She was some sort of fae, with short brown hair and possibly hazel eyes. She was mostly humanoid, but her clothes were made of moss, and her fleshy legs eventually branched out into wooden roots. She looked offended as she rounded on Keith, “I’ve learned so much about metals!”

 “And I’ve learned about humans.” Keith nodded, his hand reaching back and taking Lance’s hand, squeezing it, “Like that the word “mullet” isn’t a name, it’s a type of hair.”

 “Never heard of it.” Pidge waved off, eyeing Lance critically, “I just don’t get the fascination.”

 “Keith....” Lance tried, wincing as both fae turned to face him. He swallowed down a lump, forcing himself to remain calm, “I assume this is a friend of yours.”

 “Of course.” Keith nodded, turning back towards Pidge, “Pidge, this is Lance, I made a contract with him. Lance, this is Pidge, she’ll turn you into a tree if you’re not careful.”

 “Don’t be a fool, I would make the tree grow from inside of him.” Pidge waved off, facing the pale fae head on, “Keith is a nice name.”

 “I decided to keep it.” Keith nodded.

 “Better than not having anything to call you.” The girl shrugged, eyeing him, “But that aside, I came to find something interesting to do, but obviously you’re just doing your boring studies again. I would think you got enough information from the last one.”

 “Anthropology is a massive study, Pidge, and observation is key.” Keith hummed, raising a brow, “You would probably learn a lot more about metal if you spoke to a human.”

 “I would rather die.” Pidge spit, her eyes narrowing, “Humans are barbarians, always asking _questions_  and being rude. They’re gross, and weird, and creepy, and I don’t know why you like them.”

“Then leave if you’re not going to be helpful.” Keith spoke, this place is packed with dangerous things.

 “I know, I saw something bad earlier.” Pidge’s voice suddenly went serious, “Stay away from the center of the bog.”

 “W-Wha-” Lance froze, both of the fae turning to stare at him hatefully. He felt a shiver run down his spine, their stares outright piercing, “Center of the bog.” He decided to say instead, not knowing how he could ask them for the reason.

 The new fae’s glare was fierce, taking a step forward before Keith stopped her, “He has little knowledge of our etiquette. Let it pass just this once.”

Pidge’s hazel eyes moved toward her fellow fae, eyes meeting in a challenge, “Only this once.” She agreed, turning to Keith fully, “Usually I wouldn’t warn you but I’m feeling generous today. Something terrible is in the center of the bog. I wouldn’t go there if I were you.”

“If you say it is then it must be deadly.” Keith noted.

“It is. You can always go there to explore.” Her lips curved just the tiniest bit, “Or perhaps the creature will find you itself. If it does, I hope you manage to escape it, for it is a beast equal to our power. I wouldn’t exaggerate by saying that it would be capable of taking you down.”

Lance felt himself shiver, squeezing Keith’s hand. As a witch, it was mandatory for him to learn about the many different creatures witches had knowledge of. Fae Kings such as Keith were one of the most powerful creatures, but leshen as well as chimeras were high ranking creatures as well. They were deadly, capable of dealing great damage to the fae, or even killing them.

He hoped that they didn’t run into either while on their journey. He can defend himself against most of the creatures, but leshens, chimeras, and other Fae Kings weren’t among the things he could handle. He didn’t forget to bring his healing potions just in case, prepared for anything the bog may throw at him.

“You smell of fear.” The female fae noted, facing Lance now, “It must be frightening to step foot out of protected land for the first time. Any human would be a fool to do such a thing. It makes me think that the villagers decided to offer you as a sacrifice to Keith for his protection.”

Keith’s protection? Lance raised a brow at that, “I’m not a sacrifice. If you’re talking about Cú-Sith, then we offer our ears in exchange for his protection.”

Keith huffed at that, “I always wondered why the people were cutting their ears off. It’s unsightly.” He wrinkled his nose, “I never asked for them.”

Lance froze that very moment, not saying anything as his eyes moved onto Pidge and then Keith. Wait… Keith is Cú-Sith? How? “You can’t be Cú-Sith.” He muttered in disbelief, “Cú-Sith is a wolf like being. T-That’s the form he prefers to use.”

“Hahaha!” The fae girl burst out laughing, holding onto her stomach in sheer amusement, “Oh heavens! He thinks your steed is you! Hahaha!”

“My wolf.” Keith tilted his head, frowning at him, eyebrows knitted together. Keith took his finger and pressed it to his lips, “No. I am the one your villagers call Cú-Sith. The wolf is my friend and steed, of many names, but not of Cú-Sith.”

Lance’s very blood turned to ice, his breath hitching as he realized who, exactly, stood before him. This fae, this was the fae that was responsible for the continued survival of their village. He was the reason the folk of Dreadwarren cut of their ears, the one whom the villagers sent prayers to every night before they sleep, begging his mercy and to spare their children of plague.

Hunk, Shay, Florona and everyone else had mutilated themselves for this creature. Lance remembers Hunk’s coming of age, remembers watching his friend take a knife and slice off his own ear, chanting songs as they did, the altar witch cooing. Hunk had smiled, holding a rag to the side of his head, blood leaking between his fingers.

 The fae girl’s laughter died down into chuckles, her hand risen to hide her wicked smile, “The village thinks you are poor Kosmo.”

“It does not matter.” Keith, Cú-Sith, tilted his head, “So long as they keep their end of the contract.”

“They cut their ears off!” Pidge’s eyes suddenly widened, her tiny form shaking with renewed laughter, loud and bouncing off the bog, “They cut their ears off! They thought you wanted their ears!”

“I thought it was some strange human custom.” Keith tilted their head, “I never knew why. I suppose I have context now. I won’t ask you to stop, but I find the ritual strange and unsightly.”

“Unsightly!? They _cu_ / their ears off for you!” Lance yelled, tears gathering at the edges of his eyes, “You have no idea of the sacrifice they made! And now you’re telling me it was all for nothing!?” The path of ears flashed before him, feeling dread fill him.

Those ears were cut for worship.

Blood was spilled.

The villagers lost their hearing in one of their ears.

And now he found out that it was all for nothing? He felt bile build up in his throat, feeling like he was about to throw up. Nothing made sense anymore, not with the horrifying sounds all around him.

He could hear it even now, the haunting noises that were coming from all around them. They were creeping their way into his very bones, making his entire body shiver.

 There was blood, a lot of blood. He remembered it every time someone would cut their ear off. What’s even worse is that some like Hunk would smile, glad that they’d done their part to protect the village from harm. They’s sacrificed their ears for the good of them all, so that the village was safe. No… It was all for nothing.

 If Cú-Sith didn’t take their ears, then where did they go? What happened to them? Apart from the ears that stood along the path to the worshipping grounds, where have the rest of the ears gone? They must have been used for _something_  if they were needed for protection of their village.

“It has to be stopped. I have to stop it.” Lance muttered in a panicked tone before he felt powerful vines wrap around his neck, lifting him up from the ground. The witch gasped, taken completely surprise as he struggled to fight against them.

He didn’t know what was happening around him.

There was a pile of ears. All cut off for nothing.

No.

_No._

“I won’t stand for this rudeness. I let it slip once, but I won’t tolerate it for a second time.” A dark voice said when more vines wrapped around his left hand, squeezing tightly. Lance’s eyes widened, the grip tightening further and further until the pain became unbearable.

His scream was ear piercing and could be heard for miles away further into the forest. Then at some point he felt something within his lower arm break, greater pain shooting throughout his body. He screamed louder when he felt the bone break, vines moving away to let him drop onto the ground.

The witch had his eyes wide opened, shaking and holding onto his broken hand. He was on his knees, crunched down with tears at the edges of his eyes. The pain was unlike any other he’d felt before, his hand feeling like it was on fire but at the same time as if it was submerged in ice cold water.

The flashes of bloody ears were pushed away by this immense pain, so unbearable that Lance thought he would die right here and now. He felt the broken bone underneath his skin, felt every molecule and particle of his hand. The world suddenly became very small, focused solely in his wounded hand.

“Pidge!” Keith shouted, grabbing the girl’s shoulders and trying to pull her away, but the vines growing from beneath her skin continued, wrapping around his broken arm, creeping ever upward, wrapping tightly. Keith growled something feral, sounding like the wolf Lance had thought he was, “Let him go Pidge! He’s mine!”

“You should teach your pets better than.” The girl spit, the vines wrapping around ever tighter, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I’m simply doing what you clearly neglected to do and teaching him better.”

“Stop _hurting him_.” Keith commanded, “He’s mine! His whole village is mine! This entire bog is mine! No one else wanted it so they’re all mine! You’ll leave it to me to punish them!”

“You’re too soft.” Pidge spit again, glaring daggers into Keith. Just to emphasise her point she wrapped the vines around Lance’s broken hand, squeezing. The agony shoot through his body, burning and painful, and he couldn’t help the scream. Pidge didn’t seem to care though, ignoring him in favor of Keith, “You’ve always been too soft. That’s why he’s like this. You’re too soft on all of them! For what you give them they should all give you their first borns! Instead you let this _rudeness_  grow.”

Pidge rounded on Lance, “Well, if you’re not going to teach them than I will.”

“You won’t!” Keith shouted. Lance didn’t see where he got the knife from, but the fae cut through the vines with it like they were nothing. Pidge gave an animalistic sound, the vines reatreating.

“I’m trying to help you!” Pidge shouted, holding her wounded hand, “You’re soft! It’s going to get you dragged to Annwen. Or eaten. He’s one of your vassals, if he speaks like that to the wrong person _you’ll_  be the one they try to eat.”

“Let me teach him.” Keith hisses, “Clearly he simply hasn’t had enough contact. I’ll be stricter from now on, but stop hurting him!”

“You’re my friend.” Pidge hisses again, “But you’re a fool. You’re a fool for taking on that village, and you’re a fool for making this your land! There are _things_  here, Keith, old things! Things I _know_  want you. And if you’re going to stay than you should _at least_  make sure your vassals are _worth it_.”

“I’ll be stricter, I’ll take care of his rudeness. Just stop.” Keith shook his head, “Pidge, you are my dearest friend, I take all your advice to heart. I’ve learned from this, _he’s_  learned from this. It won’t happen again.”

The girl glared at him for a long minute, “It better not. I won’t stand for it.” She retrieved her vines completely, using her power to help herself heal from Keith’s attacks, “A lowly human like that shouldn’t be insulting you or me. You better change that Keith, and make sure none of your vassals are as rude as this.”

“I will. He’ll _never_  do it again.” Keith’s voice lowered at the end, showing that he meant it. If Lance heard it, it would have sent chills down his spine. However, that wasn’t the case because all the witch was focused on right now was his wounded hand, burning, itching, throbbing in pain, and all kinds of different things Lance couldn’t even describe.

It hurt so much, so, so much.

“The fog is thickening.” Pidge noted, turning to Keith, “The aura is-”

An ear piercing yell interrupted whatever she was about to say, startling both of the Fae Kings. They recognised the sound as a manticore’s cry. They were nasty creatures, and quite troublesome to deal with, even to Fae Kings such as the two of them.

Other yells sounded from many different directions, joined by more and more sounds. Many of them were screams, some were ear piercing shrieks of people, as if they were trying to escape certain death. Others were howls, while some were sounds of laughter and giggles, undoubtedly delighted by Lance’s loud ear piercing scream of pain.

“This isn’t good. Most of the bog knows where we are now.” Keith’s voice had a tint of worry and concern within it, and even though Pidge wouldn’t admit it, she felt the same way as well. There were creatures out there she’s rather not meet, and if she could evade them, she will.

“You need to thread carefully Keith.” She warned her dear friend, “The wisest thing for you to do right now is to follow my example and flee. It would be amusing to watch you fight whatever creature appears but I do enjoy your company, so it’d be favourable for me if you survived.”

The ground underneath her suddenly opened up, her feet sinking into the grass as if she were on sand, “The next time we meet, I hope you’ll have your pet trained.”

“I will Pidge.” The other fae dreaded carefully, listening to the sounds around them, “Don’t tell Shiro about this.”

“Oho… I’m sure he’d like to know of this. We’ll see what I decide to do.” She taunted, but Keith didn’t care at this point, turning his attention onto the whimpering human. He felt Pidge’s hazel eyes follow him before slowly disappearing into the ground completely, leaving no traces of her.

If Lance was in the right state of mind, he would have heard their conversation, but he wasn’t. The world was lost to him, unable to hear or see anything apart from the incredible pain within his arm. He felt the broken bones move, any movement causing more pain to shoot up to his brain.

This must be what torture felt like. It had to be the pure definition of it.

“Lance, we have to leave.” He faintly heard Keith’s voice say, tilting his head up just enough so that he could see the fae’s face. He was out of breath, panting and whimpering as he remained kneeling on the ground.

There were loud screams in the back as well, but at this point he recognised them as the callings of death,

“It hurts.” He managed to say, meeting Keith’s violet eyes, “It _hurts_  so much.”

“I know.” Keith tried, loud laughter sounding _dangerously_  close to their left, “But we have to leave now. If we don’t, we might die here.” The fae didn’t wait for a response and instead used his power to let flames surround them.

At first the flames formed a circle around them, before coming in and enveloping them both. Lance thought this was the end for him, his eyes shut closed. The thing that alerted him that he might still be alive was a feeling of wind blowing against him, opening his eyes to find himself in unfamiliar surroundings. They were still in the bog but there was no fog around and he could see the trees clearly around them.

Keith looked around for a bit, eyes keen. The laughter was dangerous around them, but they weren’t near where they were before. Lance wasn’t aware enough to guess though, he could only focus on the pain.

A pale hand grabbed Lance’s arm, pulling the tanned witch to his feet. He let out a pained cry, only for the other’s hand to cover his mouth and muffle the sound.

“Shhh.” Keith commanded quitely, “There’s an abandoned house here, walk carefully, we have to do something for you hand.”

Lance sputtered something as the pain throbbed through his hand. He followed Keith though, blindly, letting the fae lead him to what he hoped was safety. He blinked away tears, trying to focus on the “house”. It was barely shelter, standing on stilts above the water, only three walls still up, one half burned, the roof barely standing. The fireplace was half collapsed, the furniture collapsed in on itself, old and rotted away, the bed long withered into nothing, pots and pans long abandoned on the floor.

Keith settled him on the edge of the fireplace, the damp stone wetting Lance’s pants a bit. The fae hastily started a fire, the flames burning scentless and smokeless. Keith grabbed a pot off the floor, hissing when it burned his hands, “Iron.”

Lance was too pained to find any enjoyment from it.

The pale fae made up for this by grabbing a stick and picking up the pot, walking towards the end of the house’s porch, laying down and dipping the pot into the water before standing, stick still in hand, and rushing to place it on the hook above the fire.

“I’m not the best at healing.” Keith stated as he moved to stare at Lance’s hand, “It looks like she got all the bone.”

“It hurts.” He couldn’t help but state pitifully.

“We need to heal it. Anything you have to help will…” Keith suddenly froze, his eyes widening. He stood suddenly, turning on his heel to face the forest.

 The was a sound. A plop, plop, plopping sound. Like something heavy was walking through the water. Keith tensed, his entire form sizing up, hair standing on end as he stared into the distance. More fog was rolling in as red eyes suddenly peered through the shadows behind the trees.

It was a horse. A horse with a horn.

“U-Unicorn…” Lance gazed at it, the horse approaching slowly. There was another next to it, white and beautiful, with golden eyes. The two beasts stopped and stared at them, their nostrils flaring, sniffing the air. Lance looked up at Keith, who had long frozen, “I think they’re supposed to be good fortune.”

“Lance.” Keith stated in a very carefully neutral voice, “If you have something to heal that hand, you better do it fast, because we’re about to run very, very, _very_ , quickly.”

“But unicorns are helpful.” Lance blinked, staring at the two horses as they continued to sniff, “That’s what the stories say.”

“Lance.” Keith’s voice shook, “Heal your hand _now_  if you can. If you can’t then get up, start backing away, and get ready to let me carry you. Don’t bother with magic, just focus and escape.”

Lance blinked, dread suddenly feeling his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE BABY BOY! I'm so proud of you and everything you've become! I love you Keith! #KeithStanForever
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: A new chapter is up! Happy birthday Keith! We love our red son <3 <3 <3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Sexual assault.

Lance quickly looked down at his satchel, flipping it open with his healthy hand. He panickingly tried to search for the healing bottle, knowing that he’d packed a ton of those before leaving his cottage. His hand shook as he searched, powered up by pure adrenaline and fear alone.

“Heal your hand Lance.” Keith urged, noticing the way those unicorns began sniffing the air heavily, their nostrils flaring in eagerness. They must have detected what they craved, because as soon as they stopped sniffing, they zeroed in on the fae and witch within the abandoned structure.

“Too late! We’re escaping!” Keith yelled, quickly grabbing onto the witch and pulling him up. The move came as a startle to poor Lance who managed to drop a bottle, glass shattering to leave the liquid within splattered across the ground.

“The potion! I’d just found it!” Lance complained at the loss of the potion just as he’d managed to get his hands on it. However, when he heard a loud inhuman sound behind him, all complaints left him, turning to see the two unicorns running towards them ferociously.

It was then he noticed that the unicorns didn’t have hooves, but rather hands for legs. The mere sight of it made his blood turn to ice.

Those weren’t unicorns he’d heard about… They were monsters.

“Come on! We’re running away!” Keith’s voice was panicked as he quickly reached for him, picking him up to hold him in his arms. Lance let out a loud yelp of pain at the sudden movement, feeling the pain shoot throughout him like thousand needles hitting his brain.

He couldn’t sense anything else around him, not even when Keith suddenly grew wings on his back, spreading them wide. He flapped them, ready to take to the skies before something heavy crashed into him, knocking them both down with such ferocious force that Lance’s eyesight turned pure white for a solid five seconds.

When his ability to see again returned to him, he was left frozen in place, spotting a pitch black unicorn with bloodied eyes in front of him. It sniffed the air as it stood close, it’s _hands_  suddenly reaching to grab at his leg, pulling him close with incredible force.

“Keith!” Lance yelled, fighting off the unicorn with everything he had. His wounded hand did nothing to help, practically rendering him useless in front of the creature. His blue eyes drifted to the side, spotting Keith who was in the same predicament as himself.

“I _demand_  you let us go.” Keith kicked fiercely, more capable of fighting than Lance at the moment, screaming offenses at the unicorn, “Don’t touch me!”

The creature above Lance snorted, his breath hitting his face as it leaned forward. The breath was wretched, like a rotting corpse, and Lance choked on it. The thing’s hands forced him down, one pinning his working hand, the other touching him all over.

Lance tried reaching for the magic in his trinkets, wanting to defend himself, only to realize that _he couldn’t_. The creature snorted, like it knew what he was trying to do and found it amusing. Lance’s breath hitched as a long tongue left the horse’s lips, reaching a good foot down to lick against his lips.

Keith let out an enraged scream. He heard the other horse give out an annoyed huff. Lance glanced over and realized that Keith had somehow freed himself enough to stab the unicorn, but it’s horn glowed, and the wound was sizzling out of existence. Keith continued to let out enraged screams, rapidly stabbing, but the unicorn only seemed annoyed. The unicorn holding Lance continued to taste along his neck, licking downward, tasting his prey.

The white unicorn finally had enough of Keith struggling, it’s horn glowing and Keith’s hand pinning itself to the ground. Keith screamed in rage, still kicking. Lance followed his example trying to kick as well. The two unicorns shared a look, but it was the white one that was more annoyed and moved it’s long hands to flip Keith, making it harder for him to fight back.

Keith gave another enraged shreek, somehow breaking the spell that pinned his arm through sheer will and bringing his figures to his lips, giving a sharp whistle.

All was quiet for just a moment after, even the distant screams of other monsters seemed muted somehow. The unicorns snorted after a moment, their hands working to pull apart their clothes. Keith had gone quiet himself now though, but Lance couldn’t focus on that over the fact that the horse was starting to playfully nibble at his neck.

And then there was a growl. Deep, dark, threatening.

Enraged.

The howl sounded, and suddenly the black unicorn was gone, bodily knocked away by _something_. Lance blinked through the pain and confusion, turning his mud covered hair to the side.

There was a _direwolf_.

The wolf was larger than both the unicorns. As large as Lance’s cottage, and he had the white unicorn between his jaw, shaking it like a toy as his paw stomped on the black one. Lance recognized this wolf. The one from the tapestry. The one he _thought_  Keith had been.

He...was a lot bigger in person.

The direwolf let out a threatening snarl, and with one snap of his jaws he managed to crush the white unicorn, letting blood ooze out of his mouth. The creature became lifeless, slowly disappearing as the direwolf swallowed it’s corpse. Right after devouring his prey the wolf managed to crush the black unicorn to death, despite the creature trying to aim it’s horn towards the direwolf’s leg.

All was over, and the wolf emerged victorious.

Lance watched with wide eyes, full of horror and fear as the wolf looked down at them next. The thought that he might die like that made him shake, eyes glued onto the creature as it’s eyes moved to the right.

“You saved us Kosmo.” Keith’s voice sounded, and it was only then that Lance noticed the fae. He was covered in muck all over, just like himself. The sight of Keith made Lance blink, pushing himself to sit up while wincing in pain. His upper clothing were torn by the horse, wind tickling along his still wet neck.

It made the witch shiver, brushing his healthy hand along the skin to try and clean it. The slimy saliva was difficult to clean though, and it felt disgusting to the touch. He almost wanted to throw up. His blue eyes turned to Keith again, noting that the fae also had his upper clothes torn as well.

W-What were the unicorns trying to do?

His mother always taught him that unicorns were a sign of good fortune, and that seeing one meant that great things will come your way. That’s what Lance thought when he’d seen the two creatures in the distance, but Keith was wary of them from the beginning.

“The unicorn tore my clothes apart.” He spoke, voice a bit shaken, “And it licked at my neck.” It felt strange in a way that the unicorn didn’t kill him right away. It was as if he’d wanted to do something to him, but he didn’t know what. He had an idea but it was too outrageous for it to be true.

Keith sat up in the mud, running his hands through his black hair to get rid of the mud. When that didn’t seem as efficient, the fae used his power instead, using his magic to clean himself fully, “Unicorns are one of the most dangerous creatures that roam the lands. They’re infamous for…” He paused here, violet eyes moving to meet blue, “They’re privy to attacking virgins. Once they sniff out a virgin, they will attack without a second of hesitation. They’ll steal their virginity before killing their prey in cold blood and feeding on their flesh.”

Lance couldn’t part his lips to say anything in return, his body frozen still as his eyes bore into Keith’s own. He felt the remains of the unicorn’s saliva on his neck, making his heart beat rapidly with newfound knowledge that he was about to be raped before this direwolf saved them both.

His mind was too much of a mess to think clearly but he couldn’t help wonder why Keith had been attacked as well. Fae are known for having many lovers, easily going from one lover to the other without a single thought about it. It was a norm within the fae society, that much he knew. That’s why it didn’t make any sense that Keith had been attacked by the uni-Oh. That’s unless Keith is a virgin as well.

If he was in his right state of mind, Lance would be blushing furiously right now. The last thing he expected was for this to happen, but the prospect of them surviving this overcame any embarrassment he might have had.

A small blush couldn’t escape him though, looking away from Keith as he held onto his wounded hand. The pain kept creeping into his brain over and over again, up to the point that it became unbearable. He looked around for his satchel, spotting it all the way near the direwolf’s foot.

Oh… Blue eyes looked up at the wolf, it’s massive size itself was as intimidating as anything else he’d seen before.

The direwolf tilted it’s huge face at him, like any other dog inspecting something would have set down, it’s nose sniffing for a moment before it stopped. The wolf sat on its haunches, not minding the mud and water as it turned it’s eyes toward the fae who was angrily slinging mud off his clothes.

“I hate unicorns.” Keith hissed, slinging the mud off himself. He wasn’t have, Lance figured numbly, his mind still fuzzy, stuck somewhere between the shock, pain, and the euphoria of surviving. Keith was stomping his foot, slinging mud and water about. He was as much of a mess as he was, the tanned witch figured, having known _exactly_  what almost happened.

“I cannot believe they would enter my lands like this.” Keith growled, stomping up to the corpse of the black unicorn, still crushed from the direwolf’s attack. The pale fae gave a cry, kicking at the corpse, as if the thing wasn’t already dead, “How _dare_  you touch us?”

Lance’s whole body shook. His pain dying a bit under the shock that settled as the realization of what nearly happened sank in. He and the direwolf both watched as Keith continued to kick the corpse, taking out what still existed of his fear and anger.

“That’s not the most dignified sight.” Lance tried to joke away everything, but his voice was shaky, and it didn’t sound convincing at all. He was never good at faking emotions, not at all, and he could never hide it when he was upset. His mother used to fondly call him her little crybaby. “An adult shouldn’t act like that.”

Keith fell to his knees, breathing heavily, “I not an adult!”

Lance flinched back.

“By my species standards I’m no older than you.” Keith hissed, his body shaking, “And just because you’re of age by your village’s standards doesn’t mean you’ve _actually_  reached adulthood yet.”

Keith was snappish and angry where Lance was pained and in shock. But the laughing and screams were starting to pick back up now, making the direwolf beside him growl protectively, the cooing of something evil sounding through the bogs. Now that Lance knew just _how bad_  it was out here he wasn’t inclined to stay. So he spoke, his voice shaking a bit, “Keith...Keith we have to go.”

The pale fae turned his head to stare at the witch, heaving heavily, shoulders shaking. He forced himself to still though, nodding as he stood back onto his feet, wobbling, “You’re right.”

He made his way over, but instead of walking towards the tanned witch, Keith made his way towards the direwolf, spreading his arms and falling into the wolf’s fur, hugging the beast. The wolf’s tail began to wag happily, sending splashes of water over them. The wolf, whose entire face was half the the size of Keith and three times as wide, leaned down to sniff the fae affectionately.

“You saved us.” Keith muttered, rubbing his face into the fur, his fingers scratching in the fur, “You’re a good boy, the _best_  boy. I’m going to reward you for this. You can eat the other one too. You are the most nobel, most wonderful, most loving steed I could have ever hoped for.”

The direwolf practically beamed under the praise, tail thumping against the bog floor, feet pawing into the water happily. Keith pulled away, reaching down and grabbing Lance’s satchel, hulling it up and walking towards Lance.

“Come on.” Keith held his hand out, “We can ride Kosmo the rest of the journey. He’ll protect us while we heal your hand.”

Nothing sounded better at the moment.

Lance slowly howled himself up, taking Keith’s hand and wincing in pain as a shot of agony passed through his body, standing up on wobbly feet. It scared him just how frightening the bog proved itself to be. He expected to encounter terrifying creatures while on his journey, maybe a couple of injures here and there, but it seemed that he’d overestimated the full capabilities of his power, as well as the bloodlust of the bog.

It hadn’t been even a day and he’d already managed to break his hand, caused by nothing more than simple questions. He shuddered, the mere thought of asking anything _ever_  again sounding more frightening than anything. Keith was right when he said that he’d learned his lesson, because Lance won’t be asking any questions after this. He doesn’t think he’ll even ask a fellow human for that matter.

He held onto Keith’s hand tightly, providing unexpected warmth he found welcoming at the moment. There were so many things he wanted to know, so many mysteries that were covered in dark clouds.

As a witch, he should be more knowledgeable about various beasts than most, and yet here he was, feeling as useless as he’d ever felt before in his entire life, “I’ll help you up.” He winced when Keith suddenly picked him up, holding him within his arms as he walked over to the direwolf.

Lance didn’t have it in him to protest, itching to be reunited with his satchel so that he could heal his broken hand. It lay uselessly on his chest, unable to move a single muscle. He hoped his potions would heal it, because he couldn’t imagine himself living the rest of his life with only a single hand.

He didn’t register it when they were just beside the direwolf, the large creature lowering itself to give them better access and climb on top. Keith had no difficulties doing so, settling them both on top, covered with soft fur as the wolf began to move.

Amused laughter echoed throughout the trees, outright mocking and pleased at what had happened to them. Lance wasn’t sure if whatever was laughing saw what happened, or if they knew about his broken hand, but it _felt_  like they did. There was no right word to explain the sheer _joy_  that was contained within the laughs and giggles, giving him an impression that if the direwolf didn’t appear and the unicorns did what they wanted with them, that the laughter would be even more pleased.

He decided to ignore those laughs for now, letting Keith support his upper body as he finally, _finally_ , opened his satchel, searching for another healing potion that was within. His healthy hand shook as he desperately searched for it, feeling that the closer he was to being cured, the more his hand hurt.

“Careful.” Keith warned, his hold firm, “The potion might break again if you’re being hasty.” His hand reached to hold onto Lance’s own, steadying the shake. The witch took in a deep breath, willing himself to slow down in his search.

His fingertips touched the bottle he was looking for, slowly taking it out of it’s designated place before raising it out of the satchel. Relief washed over him when Keith helped pop the bottle open, raising it up to his lips to drink. He felt the potion flow down his body, healing what it touched in its wake.

But then he felt pain pulse through him again once it reached his hand, feeling his bones move and join back together. Tears were at the corners of his eyes, holding in a loud scream as best he could. The process was painstakingly slow but once it was done, Lance tried moving his fingers slowly, their presence registering back in his brain, moving upon command.

His hand was healed, the pain was gone now.

“You should be feeling better now.” Keith noted beside him, his breath tickling along Lance’s cheek. It made the witch wince, quickly scattering away now that he had clarity of his surroundings.

“Y-You should learn about the concept of personal space!” Lance complained, holding onto his healed hand, “You can’t move that close to me as if it’s nothing!”

The fae tilted his head to the side, unoffended by the comment, “I’ve never heard of that before. It must be a human concept I’m unaware of.”

“Damn right it is.” The witch frowned, “But that aside, there are a lot of things I wish to acquire knowledge of.” He bit his lip, feeling the muscle underneath him move, the direwolf making his way through the bog, growling and sniffing the air as he went. Lance decided to ignore it for now, as well as the strange sounds that sounded all around them, “If you really are Cú-Sith then it’s strange to think that you’d be as young as you claim to be. Unicorns managed to overpower you, which means that if they were to attack the village… I don’t know if your protection would be able to protect us against them.”

That must be how it works, right? If Cú-Sith was unable to take on the unicorns himself, then what would it mean for their village? Are… are they really as safe as they think they are? The thought shook Lance’s insides.

“If you’re not the one asking for our ears then they have to be used for something else. There would be no reason for us to cut them off otherwise.” He paused in his thoughts, “I need to know if you’re telling the truth about this.”

The pale fae frowned deeply, dropping his hands and twisting his fingers into the direwolf’s fur, chewing at his lip as he thought over what he would say. He finally spoke after a moment, voice small, “Unicorns can negate magic. Their horns absorb magical energy around them and power their own spells. Normally they aren’t a problem, because they’re rare and I know how to kill them without magic...cut off their horns and thus their ability to remain unharmed...but they caught me by surprise.”

Violet eyes flickered over Lance’s hand for a moment before darting away,  settling on the wolf’s back, his hands brushing through the fur, petting the beast affectionately, “I was...distracted, you were injured, and they’re so rare. I’ve never even _seen_  two in the same place before. It...wasn’t a good situation for us. Normally I can ward off anything in the bog, but I honestly didn’t expect…”

Keith shook his head, his fingers digging further into the direwolf’s pelt. The giant beast continued walking, stomping over several ghouls every step, so fierce that few creatures dared to approach. Still, even with his protection and a fae king on his back the haunting moans and cackling laughter spread through the bogs like a song, as natural to the cursed place as the wind.

The noirette lifted his head, ashamed, “Kosmo and I will have to make sure there aren’t others. I can handle anything else, but unicorns are a special kind of threat. I’ll bring horns as proof if I see and slay them.”

Then Keith was frowning again, his eyes moving to meet his blue ones, “As for the...ears...I simply thought it was a strange human custom. My kind aren’t always knowledgeable, and yours changes so quickly. I thought it was a spell since the witch at the altar hung and ate them so much.”

Utter shock shook Lance’s entire being, passing through him like a chilling cold wave and creeping into his very bones. His eyes were wide, face twisting into utter horror and disbelief, “A-Ate.” He muttered, searching those violet eyes for any kind of an explanation. He swore that it wasn’t a question, it couldn’t be when he merely repeated the word. He hoped it wasn’t. The mere thought of him asking _anything_  was terrifying.

“It must have been for a spell if you were cutting them off willingly.” The fae supplied, “I have no other guesses what they could be used for.”

And that was when Lance pushed himself up to the edge, feeling bile build up in his throat. He didn’t throw up, but instead choked on his breath, spitting onto the ground beside the direwolf. The creature seemed to notice it, pausing in his walk to make sure none of Lance’s spit managed to land on his fur.

He felt sick. A part of him didn’t want this to be true, that maybe the fae was trying to play games with him and deceive him. However, another part of himself knew just what kind of a deranged person the altar witch was.

She always mused about their god’s glory, and his demand for all of their ears. He didn’t know where all of those ears went, but he always thought that the altar witch was giving them to Cú-Sith herself. It was a gruesome task, and one he didn’t want to be a part of. He couldn’t imagine himself carrying the freshly cut ears to wherever she was taking them for Cú-Sith. He couldn’t do it unless he wanted himself to throw up.

But maybe that was a mistake. He should have dug deeper into this, investigated it further. He was such a fool, and it was his ignorance and unwillingness to investigate that resulted in poor Hunk cutting off his ear. One that was most likely eaten by the altar witch.

Lance felt himself gag some more, trying to push those images out of his head. They were too gruesome, too terrifying to think about.

He felt a hand on his back, rubbing circles over his shirt, “You should drink a potion for this sickness you’re feeling.” Keith’s voice sounded to his right, so close that he felt his breath tickle the back of his hair, “Let me help you.”

The witch sat back down onto the soft fur, not feeling better, but trying to accept it as truth. He had to warn everyone about his finding. Hunk and the rest needed to know. He ignored Keith’s closeness in favour of reaching for a raven’s skull that was tied to the inner string of his cape. He used his magic and the skull as a medium to bring the raven back to life, serving as a messenger that will deliver his message to the bone witch. She’ll know what to do when she receives it.

He let the raven hop onto his shoulder before reaching into his satchel, taking out a small piece of parchment and a pen he always carried with him. He leaned the parchment against his thigh, writing down what he wanted to say. Once he was done, he folded it so that the raven could carry it within it’s large beak, “Give this to the bone witch.” He commanded as the raven took flight, flying high into the sky and away from their sight.

“That’s odd.” Keith tilted his head, watching the raven fly off, “My mother does spells like that when she wants to speak.”

“Keith.” Lance leaned back, turning to face the fae again, barely holding back bile, “The altar witch claims she speaks to you, that you demanded the ears as a sacrifice in exchange for your protection. She claims to serve you and only you.”

Keith tilted his head again, frowning, “I’ve never made such demands. I have only ever asked that each house leave out milk or something sweet in exchange for my services. It was what the chairman of Dreadwarren agreed to at the time.”

“Milk…” Lance breathed. His lungs hurt, his head spun, his fingers went numb. Everything felt wrong. So wrong. Like his entire world was a lie. Just this morning he would have accused this fae of lying, would have spit in his face and called him a deceiver trying to trick him into enthrallment. Now? Now he felt like there was _no one_  else he could trust more. It was funny what a few hours in this awful, _awful_ , place would do. It had only been an hour, two, maybe three, and he already _couldn’t_  imagine not having Keith. This place did that, changed things. Or maybe it was what happened to them, with the wraiths, ghouls, and Pidge, and those awful unicorns that where nothing like the stories his mother told him of. Now his world was shattering even further, and something he’d resented being forced to watch all his life turned out to be a _waste_  and someone he had, albeit reluctantly, trusted all his life turned out to be much less trustworthy than the fae next to him.

He could honestly trust Keith, who had gone out of his way to be helpful so far, more than someone he _grew up with_. And maybe Keith was using him, maybe this was all a trick, but somehow it didn’t feel like it. The unicorns were too much, too traumatic, too awful. And Keith’s screams felt too real.

Everything he’d ever known was a lie.

He never thought the bogs were as bad as this. Even knowing the history of Bloodback Bog, even knowing that other villages disappeared, even knowing that it was invested with wraits, and that people who stepped off the path never came back. Even then he never imagined just _how bad_  it was, just how _dangerous_  even in his own village, where he was supposed to be safest.

Lance felt the tears build.

Keith reached out, placing a palm on this cheek, “No, don’t do that, all will be well soon. We’ll find the girl and get you home, then you never have to return to this place.”

Lance sniffed, overwhelmed, and oh bleeding hells, he’d forgotten all about the girl. He felt shame wash through him, and his throat itch, and suddenly all he wanted was _something_. So he threw himself forward, latching on to the only bit of comfort he’d had all day, not even caring that Keith was a fae anything. He buried his face into that pale shoulder, wrapping his arms around the boy.

Keith tensed beneath him, freezing solid, but Lance didn’t care. Keith was warm, and soft, and it felt /good/ to have someone _there_. So he cried into the boy’s shoulder, all the stress and pain and fear melting into the sobs.

“I don’t know what this ritual is.” Keith spoke, panicked, and tried to wrap his one arm loosely around Lance in a poor imitation of a hug. He sounded distressed as he spoke, “I can take you home now and search for her myself if it would please you. Don’t cry.”

The witch sobbed, too emotional to really register what Keith was saying. Although he did catch onto the word _home_ , making him tear up even more. He held onto the fae tightly despite Keith’s evident discomfort at the simple gesture, “N-No.” He managed to say when he was calm enough to do so, “You don’t get it Keith. You don’t understand what horrifying things I just learned about. _Things_  that I had no idea were even happening.” He sniffed some more, hold tightening.

“I want to go home, but if I do then nothing will change. Me being here is already making a difference. My friends won’t be cutting their ears anymore, and it’s only because I’m _here_  right now.” He was with Keith for only a couple of hours but they’d already managed to make a vast difference within the desperate tiny village. “I need to complete what I set out to do. I promised myself I would.”

The fae remained quiet, his hold still awkward, but he slowly felt himself easing into the hug and leaning his hand onto Lance’s back comfortably, “Alright. I won’t try to change your mind if that’s what you’ve decided on.” He paused, “I still don’t know what kind of a ritual this is.”

Among the sobs, a light chuckle managed to escape Lance’s lips, a small smile finding its way onto his face, “This is no ritual. It’s strange to think that fae don’t know what a hug is.”

The fae quirked a brow, “We know. I was just unsure if this was a hug or a ritual.”

“It’s a hug, Mullet. Accept it for what it is. There’s no hidden meaning behind it.” Lance joked, feeling the last of his tears fall down his cheeks. Quiznak, he doesn’t remember the last time he cried this much. How did so many things happen in such a short amount of time? He doesn’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Happy Halloween! Don't trust unicorns!
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Another day another update! Halloween is near y'all!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

Keith let his hand fully relax, moving his other arm around Lance. Now he was returning the hug, finding his face beside Lance’s hair, still a bit muddy from being thrown into the mud by the unicorns. He let himself take the hug for what it was, a simple gesture of comfort.

He sniffed, trying to ignore the stench of mud in favour of catching what hid underneath it. The little of Lance’s scent he could distinguish smelled nice, reminding him of a fresh breeze on top a snow covered mountain. It smelled different from the bog he spent most of his time in, tempting him to lean his head closer.

“You know, the one who kidnapped the girl was a fae.” Lance spoke, slowly moving himself away, but finding out that Keith wasn’t letting go, “If they’re a fae, then maybe you know who they are.” He tried, but Keith wasn’t willing to move. He didn’t dare ask a question so he remained still.

“I may know them.” The fae muttered, “If you describe how they look like, maybe I’ll be able to guess who they are.”

The witch quirked a brow, deeming it safer to stay like this for a bit longer, “The fae was a man with tanned skin, long white hair and a sharp looking face. I couldn’t see much of him, but I think his eyes were violet just like yours. He may have worn white clothing when he attacked the girl but I’m not sure of it.”

Keith frowned, pulling away suddenly, a scold on his face, “ _Lotor_. It has to be. He’s the only one like that who would pull a prank like this in lands like these.”

“Lotor.” Lance blinked, features twisting in confusion, “I didn’t actually expect you to know him instantly.”

“Lotor seems fond enough of me to think himself akin to an older brother of sorts.” Keith scowled deeply, reaching over to pat his direwolf’s side, “So of course it was him. Kosmo, we have a direction now. Sniff out Lotor and find him.”

Kosmo obeyed with what Lance could have  _sworn_  was a nod, swerving his head upward and sniffing the air for a few minutes before turning sharply and bounding forward. Keith turned back to Lance, still looking irked, “I should have guessed, the girl you described sounds a bit like Allura. I assume the girl with you was a blonde with blue eyes, wore a lot of pink.”

Lance froze, nodding mutely.

“Romelle.” Keith scowled, “Of course. They all must have planned this. I’ll get them back for this. I’ll steal Lotor’s voice and put it in a bottle, give it to a harpy. I don’t care if they didn’t intend to hurt me or even get me involved, but we got attacked by unicorns.”

The wolf at some point sped up into a trot, then a skip, and now he was running along the bogs, slinging up mud and water as he flew past. The wind rushed past them and Lance was forced to lean forward just to hold on, his fingers twisting into the fur. All around them screams sounded as the wolf crushed everything in its way, too large and fierce to be challenged. At some point the beast glowed blue, and Lance found he was dragged through a veil as suddenly the beast was falling through the sky, its feet spread as it landed next to a giant tree.

Lance froze again when he saw the tree.

It was bone white with red leaves, a laughing face carved into its base, blood red sap leaking from the eyes. Around it were strange, glowing, red plants that pulsed with light, the sound of heartbeats filling the area. Each of the plants spurted more red sap, like a heart spurting blood, a sick sound leaving it as the sap landed on the branches of the tree.

“Welcome back child.” The tree whispered, but it didn’t move its lips. The voice sounded like it was coming from all around them, in every direction.

“Not now grandmother.” Keith scolded, looking around the area, “Lotor! I know you’re here! I’m in no mood for games! I was already attacked by two unicorns today!”

“Oh dear.” The tree spoke, “My poor child. Come to grandmother, become one with her, she will protect you.”

“No.” Keith scolded, “I’m busy. Lotor! I’m serious! There were _two_  unicorns.”

And while Keith yelled, Lance took the time to look around his new surroundings. Everything was red and white, two beautiful colours when combined together. However, he knew better than to trust this beauty before him. Nothing this beautiful came without its own package of bad news. He slid down Kosmo’s fur slowly walking behind Keith as the pale fae yelled furiously in random directions.

Whoa… The place was filled with red leaves on the ground. He couldn’t take a single step without stepping on one, “This place is beautiful.” He decided to say, not knowing how else he would draw Keith’s attention to himself.

“That’s not important right now.” Keith huffed, “We need to find Lotor. I know he’s hiding here somewhere.”

“He is here but at the same time he is not.” The tree mused, making Lance wince. He looked up at the large tree, more specifically at the face that was carved on its trunk. Was this where the voice was coming from?

“Nevermind Lotor my child, grandmother wishes to know about where you’ve been. It’s been centuries since you last paid me a visit.” Lance heard the sudden rustling of leaves all around them, jumping up when he noticed a white root sneak up from underneath the leaves.

The witch jumped to hold onto Keith’s arm, terrified of anything resembling vines.

“Fufufu… It seems you’ve brought a human with you. Grandmother will be pleased if you tell her that he’s your first lover. Humans serve young fae such as yourself very well when it comes to losing one’s virginity.” There was a pause, the voice disappearing for a second before reappearing once again, “Goodness gracious! You _are_  still a virgin! Oh my child… so pure and ignorant of what the world has to offer.”

“Grandmother!” Keith turned to face her sharply, a deep blush on his face, “What I’m doing is none of your business! There is a reason I rarely visit you, and it’s exactly because of this that I don’t!” He yelled, setting aflame some of the roots that were poking at them in the air. “Stop trying to distract me from what I came here to do. I know you’re hiding that bastard Lotor somewhere in here.”

“So ill mannered he is with his own grandmother. One day you’ll understand that grandmother wishes you well. One day your father shall give his crown to you, and you’ll stand tall among the army of the dead. It is your destiny.” The voice chuckled in excitement, and Lance felt some of the roots creep closer to him, one even managing to wrap around his wrist.

The witch willed his magic power on his hand, focusing on the spot where the root was before willing fire to burn it away. It did the trick and the vine moved away. Although it didn’t stop an amused chuckle from echoing all around them.

“You shall become a powerful god my child, and grandmother will help you achieve that. You will be ruthless to all that stand in your way, taking all the jewels and slaves that are thrown at your feet. However, before that happens, grandmother has to make sure you lose your virginity. It is the first step to becoming a true fae. Then when you lose it, you’ll have many more lovers to come. A witch will be a perfect tool to take away your virginity.”

More roots appeared from under the ground, pushing away the red leaves as they surfaced. They were beautiful, but deadly in their actions. Lance reached for his wand but his eyes widened when red fire suddenly burned down all of the roots, managing to clear their surroundings of them, “Grandmother! You are embarrassing me!”

Huh? Lance blinked, turning to Keith. The fae seemed more embarrassed than anything else, which was strange considering what the tree was planning to do to them. What… what was with magical creatures and virgins? They definitely didn’t have a liking for them.

“I’ve had it!” Keith yelled, his cheeks red, “If you won’t tell me where Lotor is, then I’ll chase him out myself!” Fire suddenly appeared on both of Keith’s hands, shining brightly to match the colour of the leaves.

Lance could only watch as Keith stepped forward, looking around their surroundings, “You’re giving me no choice Lotor! Either come out or face my wrath!”

“Children.” The tree hummed, its roots circling them, “So ill mannered these days. Don’t worry child, grandmother shall love you all the same.”

Keith responded by throwing a ball of raw flame into the leaves, causing fire to spread over them slowly, a strange smell raising from them as they burned. It reminded him of cinnamon and apples, both rare treats in this part of the world, and it made him feel a pang of nostalgia.

“Now child, that’s no way to act in front of your lover.” The tree tsked, “Especially not a _first_  lover. You certainly shouldn’t take each other on burning ground.”

“I’m not going to do that in front of my _grandmother_.” Keith grit his teeth, hissing, “Lotor! I’m serious.”

“Oh, to be back in the good old days.” The tree lamented, sounding wistful, “Back when the losing of one’s virginity was a grand affair. Everyone the fae knew would be in attendance. Such great ceremonies. The family would rip off the clothes and we would all watch…”

“Stop!” Keith hissed, red faced, trying to hide behind his hands now, “It’s no wonder dad avoids talking about growing up!”

“You younger fae these days never wait for a ceremony.” The tree shamed, “You haven’t even lost yours yet. But I’m glad to see you’ve come to your senses and brought a handsome young lover to present.”

Keith blushed furiously, stomping a foot, “Grandmother, no. I was attacked by unicorns not two hours ago.”

“Oh, my poor child. I cannot bear such a thought.  the idea of such a thing happening. Don’t worry. Grandmother will protect you from any others until the deed is done.” The tree cooed.

“I don’t want to yet.” Keith hissed, his whole body red, “I want...I...I don’t _want_  meaningless sex. I...I want something like dad has with mom.”

“Oh no.” The tree sounded horrified, “Not again!”

“As amusing as this all is…” A new voice drawled, and Lance whipped around to face the stranger. It was him. It was the fae that took the girl, standing there holding his chin, a smirk on his face. Next to him was the girl, not looking put out at all, “...but I must say, I didn’t expect you to get involved with our game little brother. Much less to find you in such an enjoyable argument.”

“I’m not your brother.” Keith rounded on him, face still deeply flushed, pointing an accusing finger at him, “Speaking of brothers! I’m telling Shiro! I almost got attacked by _unicorns_  because of you!”

“Ohhh… Well, that certainly fits the topic that is being discussed.” The white haired fae mused, taking a step closer, “I never thought you’d agree to a geas with a human we’re playing with. As I recall the saying goes...the more, the merrier.”

“You!” Lance finally spoke, pointing to the girl beside him, “You’re the sister I’m looking for! Please tell me this really isn’t a prank and that you’ve really been taken captive by this fae.” He almost pleaded, wanting it to be true, “Your sister is waiting for you back in my village.”

The girl let out a chuckle, covering her mouth with her hand, “You’re really naive, young witch. It’s no wonder you fell for our tricks. Humans like you are especially fun to play with.” Those words did it, and Lance lost all hope he was holding onto her being half fae or a human.

“There are a lot more amusing things we could play with you.” Lotor cooed, “And we’ll have brother join in on it with us. I’m sure your grandmother would appreciate our help in making you a non-virgin.”

The tree let out a pleasing sound, “It shall be the greatest gift I’m presented with. And once this child finally becomes a true fae, he can begin his journey on becoming a powerful death god.”

“Grandmother! I don’t want to hear anything else from you!” Keith yelled, both annoyed and embarrassed, “We’re not here to talk about me but rather you entering my territory to mess with _my_  humans. This will not go unpunished!”

Lotor’s lips curved, taking further steps closer towards them, Allura walking by his side, “You cannot punish us for the good spirit of fun and mischief. I’m sure that you would have done the same. You know that at least three witches live in your village, and this one is the youngest and the most naive one of all. Of _course_  we would take the opportunity presented to us.”

“And now that we know you’re under a geas, we shall change the game a little.” Allura added, a smile creeping onto her face. Lance blinked confusingly when he noticed that Lotor suddenly vanished, reappearing behind him and throwing his arms around him. The witch struggled to get out of his hold, willing his magic to create ice so that the fae would let go.

Fighting against such high ranking fae was madness but he didn’t have a choice.

“Hey!” Keith growled, moving to attack Lotor, however, Allura stopped him. She pushed him away with her power, willing a swirl of leaves to blind his vision. Kosmo growled ferociously, joining in to protect his master.

Allura managed to push the direwolf away with a single wave of a hand. However, another loud growl came, fire suddenly enveloping them all and burning everything within sight. The two fae managed to evade in time, making themselves disappear and then reappear on a thick branch of a tree, Lance still struggling in Lotor’s hold. Any ice he formed melted, despite him desperately trying to form it.

Blue eyes looked down, gasping when he spotted a large red dragon standing among the leaves. It growled, eyes looking up at the two fae before narrowing in anger.

“Hahaha! Yes! _Yes_  my child! Let your power roam! Show us that you really have the potential to become the greatest death god to ever roam our lands!” The grandmother laughed in amusement, her voice echoing throughout the space they were in.

However, Lance didn’t really focus on her voice, instead he decided to admire the dragon. He’d never seen a dragon before in his entire life, couldn’t have seen one anywhere in the bog. They’re _very_  rare creatures and seeing one would certainly count as a blessing, even higher than seeing a unicorn. Then again, that was what humans thought of them. Perhaps fae and other creatures interpreted the beast differently…

“Fear not brother!” Lotor called, “There is no need for anger but rather joy! We shall organise a ceremony for you, and we’ll make sure to invite all of your family and friends. We’ll fulfill your desire and your grandmother's wishes. It will be a grand celebration!”

“Find us in ten days. We’ll have the ceremony finished and prepared by then!” Allura added, the two of them laughing as they used their power, willing themselves to leave.

The dragon let out a furious roar, showing off his razor sharp teeth as he tried in vain to swipe at the two fae, but it was too late and they were gone. The dragon let out yet another furious roar, slamming his tail down into the grass. The direwolf had risen by then, his fur standing on edge and growling as it moved to stand next to the transformed fae.

Lance fell to his knees, breath leaving him as he stared where the two fae disappeared. No. No, no, no. They were gone, and he needed them if he wanted to…

Keith was going to _die_  if they didn’t come back.

The tanned witch’s breath hitched. Just this morning he wouldn’t have given a _damn_  other than the fact that the village would have to flee the bogs. Now he couldn’t _bear_  the thought. It was stupid, irrational even, but now he couldn’t imagine a world without Keith. It wasn’t like a spell, he knew mind altering spells. No, after everything, in the bogs and the unicorns and the fae he _couldn’t_  even think of Keith dying. Not Keith who had fought tooth and nail, not Keith who had comforted him, not Keith who helped him realize the dark truth of Dreadwarren, not Keith who _hadn’t left him behind to die_  when he could have.

Lance stood, stumbling over himself and rushing up to the dragon, “Keith! Keith we have to get them! Your geas!”

The dragon turned to face him. Keith as a dragon was huge, with imposing talons that were pitch black and sharp like knives, and scales that glittered like rubies. Violet eyes stared at him, glowing, pupils shaped like a six pointed star.

The witch didn’t feel any fear as he placed a hand against Keith’s snout, his hand warming at the contact. He tried to breathe, he did, but his mind was a flurry of panic, “We need to get them! We need to find them!”

The dragon started changing then, waves of steam spouting from the body as it shrank, becoming smaller and smaller, more human. The direwolf trotted away, closer to the grandmother tree, avoiding the steam. Lance blinked through it as the warm wave hit his face. It cleared though, and he was left with his own hand on Keith’s pale cheek.

“I won’t let them use you.” Keith stated, peeking open his eyes as he leaned into the touch, “Don’t worry, there won’t be a ceremony. I won’t let it happen.”

The witch sighed in relief, glad that Keith wasn’t wounded. A smile crept onto his face, believing in Keith’s words, “There’s no way I would give up my virginity like that anyway. Not with powerful fae and all sorts of creatures watching me as I do it.” His blue eyes trailed down onto Keith’s neck, gasping when he noticed that the mark around his neck was gone, “Keith! The mark!”

Violet eyes moved downward, touching at his neck but unable to see it. He formed a mirror within his hand, the glass forming out of his skin as he aimed it at the neck, seeing nothing but his pale skin, “I’ve fulfilled my part of the contract.” It took him by surprise because if he remembered correctly, his geas would be broken when--Oh.

He’d agreed to help Lance reunite Allura with her family. Allura is with Lotor which meant that she’s back home. His part of the contract was completed. The fae licked at his lips, relishing his freedom now that he was free of the geas. He didn’t have it for long, and he didn’t expect to fulfil it so soon but here he was, without a mark.

“It seems that you’re the only one with a geas now.” Keith mused, leaning into Lance’s palm while moving his own hand to touch at his neck, tracing along the line of the mark, “You’ll give me such pretty presents. I’m excited to get my first offering.”

Wait. Lance’s eyes drifted to Keith’s neck, then looked up at his amused face. Did he just… no, nope! Oh no! He never would have gotten anything out of the contract from the start! All it did was drag him into the bogs, almost got him killed _and_  almost got him raped by a unicorn! All that for nothing?

Meanwhile, here he was with a geas on his neck while Keith’s was markless. Fae… he hates them… except for the brownies. He’ll _always_  love the brownies.

“I’m tired.” The witch sighed, letting himself lean against Keith’s shoulder, “If I need to think of a gift to give you every week then I got to start planning. I miss Blue and Red.” He bets they’re having a better time than him, probably tearing up his curtains while he’s away.

“I’ll take you home.” Keith embraced the other freely now, unfearing that it may be a strange human custom. As he did that, he heard the chuckles of his grandmother once again, echoing around them.

“That is wonderful child. You indeed seem close to that human, how so very _wonderful_. I shall be the first guest that comes to attend your ceremony. I cannot wait to witness your coming-of-age ceremony. I’ll have to call--”

“We’re leaving.” Keith stopped his grandmother before she could embarrass him further and cause _more_  trouble than she already did, “And there will be no ceremony. Don’t be mistaken.”

“Hush child.” The voice warned, “In ten days, I’ll be the happiest grandmother there is.”

“Keith… Your family is strange.” Lance moved away, hugging himself, “I have a feeling that unicorns aren’t the only ones who want our virginities.” What was up with that? He thinks he’ll never find out.

“My family is full of pests.” Keith states as he throws a quick glare at his grandmother, “We’re leaving now! I’m taking Lance home.”

The grandmother tree didn’t answer him, too busy muttering to herself. Keith makes an annoyed huff, tightening his arms around Lance. The pale fae brings up an arm, giving a sharp whistle. Kosmo’s eyes perked up, his tail wagging now as he huddled over, tongue rolling out of his mouth. Keith brought up a hand, petting the beast, “Take us home boy.”

The direwolf nodded, like he could understand, and Lance found himself pulled through the veil again. One, two, three, four times before it finally stopped.

When the tanned witch looked up from where he’d buried his face in Keith’s neck he could have sworn he was going to cry. He was _home_. Back at his cottage, sitting safely on his hill, his garden resting as peacefully as he left it, smoke leaking from the chimney. It was safe, warm, _home_. Home where there were no wraiths, or unicorns, or talking trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Almost the golden day you guys. Also, Kosmo is best boi.
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: A day before Halloween! It's almost here!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	7. Chapter 7

Lance pushed away, rushing up the creaking footsteps, reaching for his door and rushing inside. His eyes became teary as the familiar smell of crushed herbs greeted him, the warm of his dying fire still there. Everything was how he left it, with potions on the tables and his spell book and bestiary still open next to them, and of course it was, it had only been a few hours. But it felt like _years_  since he’d been here.

“I’m home.” Lance whispered, the relief washing over him. His knees weakened, and he had to lean against the doorway, “I’m _home_.”

“We should get some rest.” Keith stated tiredly as he walked up the steps himself, blinking at the room. Kosmo curled up just beside the garden, making himself home in the crook of the hill. Keith, however, placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder, “We should wash and rest.”

“Yeah.” Lance nodded, brushing a hand through his hair, “Yeah, you’re right, come on.”

He doesn’t even think about it as he grabs Keith’s hand and leads him inside, closing the door behind him. It just felt _right_ , like he was truly safe now that he and the fae were inside, with the four walls protecting the two of them from what was out there. He doesn’t even think about Keith being there, not until he’s halfway across the room, towards one of the only other two rooms in the house, up the stairway where wood formed over the room, his bed placed there like it was on a balcony, easy for him to spot if anyone broke in.

It should bother him that he’s leading Keith there, but he’s tired, and they’re both covered in mud, and their clothes are ripped, and he just wants to _rest_.

So he doesn’t think of it as he rushes over to the wash bin and grabs a rag and they clean each other off, stripping of the ripped and ruined fabrics, down to their small clothes, and he doesn’t think of it when they’re suddenly both in the bed, holding onto each other.

“I’m tired.” He states instead, “Too tired to deal with your relatives, or the village, or _anything_.”

“We’ll think of it tomorrow.” Keith hums, and his fingers are brushing through Lance’s hair now, “Don’t worry about it. Right now we deserve rest.”

“Hmmm… rest sounds perfect.” Lance let’s himself relax, the comfort of his own bed giving him enough assurance to let himself drift away into the dream world. It felt strange to have someone sleeping beside him like this, but he was too tired to really care about it.

It was still night but in a couple of hours, the sun would appear from behind the horizon to mark the beginning of a new day. Lance didn’t care though, letting his tiredness take over, falling asleep.

 

* * *

 

When Lance opened his eyes again, it was to dim sunlight that passed through the windows of his room. Everything was quiet around him, letting himself indulge in sleep for however long he wanted. It felt nice, refreshing in a way that he _desperately_  needed the sleep.

He’d been exhausted, and now that he thought about it, he doesn’t even remember the last time he ate or drank something. In wake of the horrors he faced within the bogs, all those necessities escaped him. His throat was dry, in desperate need of some water to drink.

“Hmmm…” He hummed contently when he felt fingers move to scratch at his scalp, enjoying the sensation of it as well as the warmth that was next to him. The body beside him was warm, firm arms draped around him almost protectively. He liked the feeling, leaning his face further into the warmth, letting it settle into what he thinks may be the crook of a neck.

He heard a pleased hum in return, the hand slowly moving along his hair again. His arms reached out to wrap around the warmth, satisfied when it wrapped around him as well. He felt skin underneath his chin, it’s warmth almost making him purr in contentment.

It felt good. He felt _safe_.

Lance would have remained like this for the entire day, if only he wasn’t snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden whisper, “ _Mine_.” The voice was low, sending a chill down his spine. It alone was enough for his eyes to open, realising the predicament he was in.

He was clinging to _Keith_. The fae was so incredibly close that all of their limbs were a tangled mess on the bed. As soon as his eyes opened he was met with Keith’s closed eyelids, only _inches_  away, and so incredibly close that it was abnormal.

He _blushed_  deeply because this was _not_  a position he should be with anyone, let alone a powerful fae. The sheer embarrassment and shock of the situation made him screech, waking up the fae from his sleep and making him jump on the bed panickingly, “Enemies! Show your- _Buha!”_

The fae was hit dead center in the face by a pillow, making him fall onto the ground by the bed, “You snuck into my bed!” Lance yelled, a massive blush on his face, “You creep! Get out!” He threw another pillow at Keith’s direction before picking another one just so he could hide his red cheeks behind it.

How did Keith get into his bed!? He didn’t invite him did he? Oh quiznak… He did, didn’t he?

“You led me here! You let me sleep in your bed!” Keith defended, the poor thing, as if it would change the outcome of his fate. He was going to get kicked out of the bedroom, there was no changing it. Even it he was telling the truth Lance’s blush wouldn’t stand for the fae to see it.

“Get out!” Lance yelled louder, grabbing onto another pillow to throw at the fae, “You don’t want to taste the wrath of slippers! Trust me, it is a fierce human weapon we have invented against the fae! You don’t know about it but it’s fearsome!”

Lance honestly didn’t think it would work, but when he noticed Keith’s face suddenly twist into that of both confusion and a tint of worry, that’s when he knew that it was working, “Nothing is more fierce than iron.” The fae defended.

“Oh! You have no idea how wrong you are!” Lance insisted, finding this both embarrassing and amusing at the same time. The fae really had _no idea_  what slippers were! This was gold! He’ll use his ignorance to his advantage, “Now get out before I get the slippers you heathen!”

Keith stood in place for a second, and only when Lance reached under the bed did he bolt for it. The witch couldn’t hold in a laugh as the fae ran down the stairs for his life, the poor creature shaken and terrified of what Lance was about to grab.

However, when Lance’s laughter died down, his cheeks regained their redness, making him cover his face with a pillow. He screamed loudly into it, the muffled noise showing just _how_  embarrassed he was by the entire scene.

He _does_  remember bathing with Keith, and he _does_  remember allowing him to sleep on the bed. God… he was so tired that clarity escaped him. He’ll have to drink a few potions to replenish his strength. He let himself fall against the soft mattress, grumbling into the pillow some more.

Only when he recovered enough did he will himself to stand up. Another bath seemed more than welcoming, and he had his beauty routine to carry out. It was _never_  more necessary than in this moment when he’d been rolling in mud just the day before. He washed before going to bed, sure, but he felt the need to have a second bath just in case some residue was left.

The witch took his time getting ready, going about his morning routine slower than normal, letting himself become absorbed with the familiar tasks. It was relaxing, familiar, the smell of homemade creams easing him from the terrible memories of yesterday…

Yesterday…

The brunette shivered, the memory of the unicorn holding him down with its too long hands and tasting him with a too long tongue. Lance bit his lip, closing his eyes and shaking his head furiously to chase away the memory, only for the sight of the wraiths to play across his eyes. Blue eyes snapped back open, his previously broken hand flexing.

He’d never go into the bogs again, not if he could help it.

Lance focused on his creams again, taking a long time to massage his cheeks. The cream was a special blend, mixed with herbs and magic, meant to slow his ageing. His mother taught him this particular blend, and she’d lived to be three hundred and fifty. He planned to improve it if he could.

It smelled of basil and thyme, like mother. He missed her sometimes, in moments like this when he wanted, _needed_ , a hug. He didn’t want to go outside, or do chores, he wanted to lay in his warm bed, curled up and safe.

Soon Lance didn’t have any reason to avoid leaving his room anymore, having finished up his morning routine. He sighed, brushing his hands through his hair and sighing heavily, letting the last of his anxiety out before grabbing his spare clothes and dressing.

Now clean and cleansed, Lance moved over towards the railing that would let him peer down from his room toward the main rooms, where his books and workbenches were, just to make sure he was alone.

He wasn’t.

Keith was there, cleaned and dressed, his clothes from the day before hastily washed. He was leaning against one of Lance’s work tables, using the light of a fire he must have started in the chimney to see the pages of one of Lance’s books. He had a quill in his hand, scribbling on one of the pages, his hair pinned back and his eyes locked onto his task.

“My book!” Lance screeched, causing the fae to jump and snatch his head upward. Lance didn’t wait to listen to whatever Keith had to say. He rushed down the stairs, storming over to the bench without stopping, “You defil-”

The words died in his lips as he caught sight of the page. Keith had sketched out a beautiful image of the unicorns, drawn expertly in watercolor ink. Beside it the fae had written out a long summary about them. Under that there were bulleted lists of weaknesses and tactics to fight them, with illustrated images of herbs to make potions they were weak to.

Keith shifted dropping the quill with a frown, “I...thought you would like information of how to fight certain beasts so you wouldn’t be caught off guard again.”

The noirette turned the page to an image of a tree similar to 'grandmother' from yesterday, the image of the white wood and many hearts reaching down the page, words written around it.  Keith’s pale hand hid the page with the unicorns, focusing on the tree instead.

“Those are beautiful.” Lance spoke, staring at the tree.

Keith perked up under the praise, his eyes glimmering underneath the firelight, lips quirking upward. He looked beautiful, so terribly, unfairly, beautiful with his pinned hair and sparkling eyes. The witch forced himself to look away, hiding his pinking cheeks as he focused on the books, “I thought I told you to get out.”

He risked a glance towards Keith, whose smile fell as he spoke, “You’re mad at me.”

“I woke up in bed and found you curling all up on me!” Lance cried, turning on the fae to point an accusing finger, biting his lips to try and fight back the blush, “You have no sense of personal space!”

“You lead me there!” Keith cried back, his voice cracking a bit, “We had a bonding moment! I cradled you in my arms!”

Lance’s eyes widened at that, causing his blush to intensify, “Nope! Don’t remember! Didn’t happen!” Was that what it was to Keith? Bonding? Well… They went through _hell_  in the bog so their shared experience may have caused them to bond _a little_ , but he wasn’t about to go and admit it, “But I’m th-” He stopped himself before he could say the word.

 _Never_  thank a fae. They’ll take it as a sign that you’re indebted to them.

“I’m… th… thinking about the book!” Yeah, this should clear this up. He’d say he got out of it successfully, “I like your drawings. This information could help me strengthen the defences of the village.”

He noticed the scrutinising look Keith was giving him, brows furrowed as he stared back at the witch, “We were bonding.” He stubbornly said, frown deepening.

“Nope! We weren’t!” Lance turned on his heels so that his back facing Keith, giving himself a minute to compose himself by letting out a low grumble, then lightly slapping his cheeks, as if that would help him get rid of the blush. He quickly turned back to Keith when he was ready, taking in a deep breath, “Look, I appreciate what you did but don’t think it’ll give you a free pass to keep sneaking into my sheets.”

“I did it once.” The fae said it as a fact, “And you invited me.”

“Details.” Lance waved his hand in the air, “But moving on from that, I _really_  like your drawings and what you wrote. I can have you fill in the blanks on some of the creatures witches didn’t meet before. I had the wrong knowledge that unicorns were a sign of good fortune, but instead they turned out to be anything _but_  that. You can help me fix all those.”

Keith hummed in thought to that, until his lips curved to send a chill through Lance’s body. A smirking fae meant no good, but it was _extremely_  unfair that said fae was attractive to boot, making his heart feel all kinds of contradicting things.

Keith pushed himself off the table, taking a step closer to the other. His movement was confident and fuck did it do things to Lance’s poor heart that managed to sustain a second hit in a matter of seconds. He felt the pale hand touch his chin, violet eyes looking into his own orbs, “If you want me to help you with that, then you’ll have to offer me something in exchange. It won’t be a contract, but a mutual agreement between the both of us.”

The witch gulped, staring into those hypnotising and _almost_  sparkling violet eyes. He took a step back, removing himself from the dangerous position. A part of him wanted to reject the fae, but another part of him wanted to accept it. Keith knew _a lot_  more about strange beasts and creatures than himself, not to mention that he could have more knowledge than any witch out there.

Lance bit his lip, admittingly wanting to confess that Keith was right. He _wanted_  his help. The question was though, what could he give the other in exchange? He doubts Keith would demand anything more than honey and gifts, but his opinion on that could have changed now that they know each other a bit more.

The safest thing to do was for Lance to offer him something.

His memories of the bog returned to him, flashbacks of unicorns, grandmother, ghouls and wraiths all too terrifying to think about. Keith was a fae, which meant that he walked around the bogs freely without anyone by his side. It was strange to think that _anyone_  could be alone out there, but he guessed that as a king, Keith had enough power to allow himself to do that.

Still, the bogs were a dark place to be in. He doubts Keith would have a nice place to escape to while in the human world. He had his realm with servants, and Lance was pretty sure that his mushroom ring was somewhere in close proximity, but he _still_  didn’t have anywhere safe to go within the human world.

Oh no… He was already talking himself into letting Keith stay. Curse his conscious for thinking of all these things. Now he’d feel guilty if he _didn’t_  allow Keith to stay or visit when he wanted. The fae was good to him, and apart from being a personal space invader, he wasn’t that bad. Sure he was strange in his own creepy fae ways, but Lance doesn’t think it’ll harm anyone if he kept his doors open for him.

And if he managed to stay clear of any tricks the fae may play on him, he should be safe. Getting all that useful information on various creatures was worth it, yeah, _definitely_  reasonable.

“I have a proposal to make.” Lance spoke up after a minute of thought, “I know that you have your own realm, but when it comes to the human world, I don’t think you have anywhere to go. I-I mean you _do_  have somewhere to go, but I think that being able to come to a… friend’s house to chat would be nice too. I’ll keep my door open for you so you can come and visit me whenever you like. I can tell you a lot about humans and our way of life. In exchange, you share your knowledge of creatures and anything else you think might help the village and its people.”

The brunette bumped his pointer fingers against each other in a nervous manner, “I think it’s a good deal. I’ll have to leave you gifts every week anyway, and you also want me to whisper sweet things to you. It’d help if you were here so that I can do that.” His blue eyes finally looked up, “It’d be far more useful than a first born.”

Keith placed a finger against his own chin, seemingly thinking over the proposal. He bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back a grin, “I like it.”

“Then we have a deal!” Lance perked up, grinning. He held out his hand for a handshake, “We’ll start now! Most human verbal agreements end in a handshake.”

Keith blinked, tilting his head at the witch before staring at the hand. He lifted his hand hesitantly, slowly reaching out and grabbing it. And of course the fae did it all wrong, wrapping their fingers together and looking back up.

“Not like that.” Lance blushed, adjusting the positioning, correcting how Keith held his hand and finally shaking it. He pulled his hand away after, holding it to his chest, hiding his pinkish flush. “There, now we have a deal.”

“Interesting.” Keith spoke, staring at his hand thoughtfully, “So _that’s_  what this is.”

The noirette turned towards the bestiary, picking up the book and holding it for Lance to see, the page still on the tree. Keith spoke, voice factual, “There are many things missing from the book, mostly holes in knowledge about creatures common for this land.”

Lance leaned in towards a passage Keith’s finger was tapping against, studying the section Keith had marked as the notable weakness. Keith had filled out everything he seemed to know about weakening the tree.

The pale fae moved the book, looking at Lance, “It shouldn’t take long to revise this book, but I expect you to keep up your end of the deal even when I’m done.”

Lance nodded, “Fair enough.”

Keith smiled now, placing the book down, “Good, then I look forward to our beautiful arrangement.”

Lance fought back a blush as Keith turned back towards the book and plucked up the quill, flipping over the pages to resume his work. Now that the deal was settled he didn’t know what to do. Keith was obviously already occupied, probably would be for a while, but Lance had no idea what he would do next. He didn’t want to go to the village, not yet, he was too worn and tired to deal with…

“Oh bloody fuck!” Lance screeched, his hands flying up to meet his teeth as he chewed against the nails nervously. Keith jumped, surprised, whirling around and holding his quill like a weapon, violet eyes wide.

“The village!” Lance ran up, grabbing Keith’s shoulders, “Dreadwarren! I warned the bone witch about what you said last night! The altar witch has been lying to us! She’s been claiming to speak on your behalf for _years_  and tricking us into...into…”

He barely held back the bile that built in the back of his throat, his knees shaking, “I have to go. I have to get to Dreadwarren.”

The witch scrambled, trying to flee the house, but Keith stopped him, holding onto his shoulders, “Lance, wait a moment, you can’t just rush out of the house like this. My family is determined to take the both of us for a public bedding ceremony in case you’ve forgotten.”

He _had_  forgotten. Now he definitely couldn’t fight back the deep blush that spread through his entire body,

“T-Then come with me.” He quickly grabbed onto Keith’s wrist, willing himself to push down the blush, “I /have/ to get to the village Keith. It’s extremely important to me that I do.” He didn’t even want to imagine what might have happened. What if the altar witch went on a rampage after being caught? What if she… took lives? He _has_  to know if Hunk and everyone else is safe.

“I’d be able to defeat Allura or Lotor if they came for us, but I’d rather avoid the trouble if I can.” Keith warned, “You going to the village wouldn’t benefit me. We should stay here.”

“We can’t do that.” Lance’s voice was panicked, “This is your village Keith. You’re its protector and god. I’d imagine that you’d _want_  to see if any other fae dared to step into your territory while you’ve been away.”

And _that_  caught Keith’s attention. The pale fae grumbled to himself, taking steps towards the door before opening it, “We’re going to the village.”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Lance joined him as they both made their way down the path to the village, walking along it and avoiding the tall grass that was beside them. Nothing will convince Lance to take even a _single_  step out of the path, _nothing_.

Once the village was in their view, blue eyes ran over the houses, trying to see if any damage was done. None of the houses seemed to be destroyed from up here, but that didn’t mean that none of the villagers weren’t hurt, “We’re going-”

“Wait.” Keith pulled on his wrist when he began making his way down, getting his attention, “I can’t go down like this. I don't want the humans to see me.”

“Then transform! Or do whatever you have to do to get into the village.” Lance was desperate now, itching to go, “Anything will do-No wait. Don’t turn into a dragon. A dog or a cat will do just fine.”

“Alright” Keith nodded, closing his eyes to let himself transform. His body glowed as it changed shape, and soon instead of Keith, there stood a black cat with large whiskers where Keith once was. Lance raised a brow at that, approving of Keith’s choice. He has Blue and Red, so the others would think that he picked up another stray.

Looking at Keith like this, it made him wonder if the fae ever transformed into anything else to roam the village. The probability that he did was very likely so he decided to ask Keith about that later.

“Come on, let’s go.” He kneeled down in front of the feline, picking Keith up to hold him within his arms. With that settled and the cat firmly in his arms, Lance took off running toward the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Happy Halloween! Everyone stay safe! Blessed be!
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	8. Chapter 8

Walking through the village was so...normal. Everything was normal. The villagers went about their daily tasks as always, the people milling about. He could hear Hunk’s hammer hitting the anvil, the sound ringing through the entire village. Chicks squacked, clucking and feeding on seed that he could see Shay tossing.

It was normal, just like it was everyday.

He had expected...something. He’d expected something to change somehow, for the entire world to shatter the way it had for him, but watching them he realized that they  _didn’t know yet_. The villagers didn’t know, couldn’t know, they hadn’t seen what he had, or heard what he heard.

“Morning Lance!” Hunk waved at him, smiling joyfully, his large and muscled arm raised in greeting. He was standing over his work, sweat already gathered at his brow. Hunk looked so happy, so peaceful, “How are you this morning? Is that a new cat?”

Lance flinched, looking down at Keith whose tiny eyes had narrowed. Luckily Keith didn’t seem inclined to take offence on his behalf and blow their cover right now. Still, Lance couldn’t help the raw, sick, feeling in his stomach at the question. After yesterday he didn’t feel inclined to _ever_  ask questions again.

“Y-Yeah.” Lance coughed, petting Keith’s fur, “His name is Keith...I...ugh...met him yesterday.”

“That’s great.” Hunk smiled, turning back to smack his hammer against his work, “I know how much you love cats. Sorry I didn’t come out to visit yesterday like I normally would, but things got really busy.”

“No, no, that’s fine.” Lance waved off, “I...I was busy too.”

“I’ll visit later.” Hunk hummed, smiling at him, “I’ll bring you some stew for the cold weather. I’ll swing by after you’re done with the meeting.”

Lance blinked, confused, “I’m not going to a meeting.”

“You’re not?” Hunk frowned at him, looking up from his work, “I saw the bone witch walk through not five ticks ago, I figured there was something witchy going on at the altar.”

The bone witch was out of her cottage? They hadn’t set up another meeting, and even if they did, they never did it a day after they’d already _had_  a meeting. No…wait…the bone witch must be acting upon his message. It must mean that she received it!

Lance tightened his hold on the black cat, feeling himself tense up, “Gotta go Hunk! I’ll see you later!” He quickly turned on his heels to leave, aiming for the worshipping grounds. If his hunch is right, and the bone witch really is acting upon his message, then that was the place she would go to.

He quickly made his way past the houses, spotting the trail of ears just in front of him. He used to pass by them easily, but now that he knew the truth, he had to swallow the bile he felt building up inside him, trying to keep it together in this crucial situation.

“These are some of the ears the villagers cut off for you Keith.” Lance spoke softly, holding the cat tightly, “They’re all devoted to you, and they’d do anything for your protection. This is proof of it.” At least Keith could see and understand why these ears were placed all around like this.

He hoped that the fae will understand some of their hardships by being here and witnessing all of this. Judging by Keith’s first reaction, Lance couldn’t really tell what he was thinking about. The cat was staring all around with a neutral cat face, ears perked up.

He decided to talk to Keith about it later and instead made a beeline for the worshipping grounds. His breath hitched when he noticed that the door was already opened. They _never_  left the door open like that. The altar witch demanded that it be closed every time anyone entered for strange reasons like the dust getting inside the holy grounds.

Lance’s feet touched the wood, swinging the door open and freezing in place. The two witches were there, facing each other before turning to look at him. He had no idea what they were talking about, or if his suspicions were true, but this _was_  the moment when they would expose the altar witch for all she’d done.

The youngest of the witches stepped inside silently, he snuck past the wood, careful not to make a sound as he circled down the wall. Keith’s ears flicked, the cat like eyes flickering over the room like this was the first time he’d actually seen it up close.

“Then tell me where those children are!” The bone witch demanded, her hands on her hips, bones rattling dangerously, “Where are the orphans _you_  collected!”

“I’ve not touched them.” The altar witch huffed, leaning against her walking stick, “My lord would not allow it. He demands their service to the temple.”

“So your madness goes beyond this.” The bone witch scoffed, her glare levelling with the altar witch. She steps forward menacingly, every part of her wound up like a coiled snake, ready to strike, “So the only reason Dreadwarren has been forced to make these sacrifices is because you couldn't devour orphans.”

“Cú-Sith demands proper worship.” The altar witch cried, “Death! Sweet death would have been best! To devour fresh dead would have given me the power to give him everything he needed. But our lord is too kind! He demanded they be made young servants of the altar instead. I had to make do! He could not be worshipped properly on milk and honey alone!”

“He asked of nothing more from us!” The bone witch cried, “How _dare_  you trick us like this? We trusted you as the witch that oversaw contracts!  Instead you betrayed us!”

“Cú-Sith is too kind! He was too kind and loving! Other fae demand more! He must be _given_  more!” The altar witch cried, snapping her walking stick down, a wave of power running from it, “I did not demand enough of Dreadwarren!”

“You’re a fool!” The bone witch is nothing but rattling bones now, shaking violently as shadowed magic drifted through her, “This madness stops now!”

“Wait!” Lance’s voice prevented them from doing whatever magic they intended to do, running up to them to stand in the middle. He felt himself shiver all over, aware that he was in danger of being caught up between the magic of two very powerful witches. He was frightened, but he willed himself to stay in place, holding onto Keith tightly.

“Child!” The bone witch called, her eyes widening as soon as she saw him, “You’ve returned!” The witch called off her magic, lowering her hand while the altar witch did the same. Unlike the bone witch, the altar witch remained quiet, eyeing the brunette suspiciously, “How did you manage to return from the bogs alive?”

“It’s a long story.” Lance untensed a bit, looking at both of the witches, “But everything I said in my letter is true. The village has been sacrificing their ears for naught all these years. All because of the altar witch’s greed.” He turned to face the said witch fully, eyes narrowing dangerously.

He felt anger take root within him, furious now that he knew the truth. The witch had lied to them all and led them all to believe that Cú-Sith wanted their ears. It was all a convenient lie to hide what was really happening behind the scenes. She used them all because they trusted her to be their connection to Cú-Sith. She was suppose to be his messenger, someone they could all rely on, and yet here they were, utterly betrayed with all of the villagers apart from the children having their ears cut off.

“I did no such thing!” The altar witch tried to defend herself, even though it was obvious now that she’d been lying all this time, “You accuse me of things you have no proof of! I know what’s really happening here! You two are trying to get rid of me due to my deep devotion to Cú-Sith! You’re jealous of me! That must be it! Our god loves me deeply and you cannot stand for it!”

“Your god had no knowledge of your doings.” Lance bit, voice low, “He told me that himself.”

“Oh!? You claim to have spoken to him? Lies!” The altar witch cried, raising her hands up in the air, as if she was worshipping an entity that was above them all. Her hands were shaking, old skin hanging loosely from her old bones, “Cú-Sith knows the truth! He shall reward me for me devotion to him!”

“Child.” The bone witch spoke, ignoring the nonsense of the crazed witch, “I believe what you’re saying only because I find that many of the altar witch’s doings couldn’t be explained. She is a crazed witch, too stubborn and mad to comply with any sense of logic. I know all this, but I must still ask what you’re basing your accusations upon.”

Lance’s hold on Keith tightened, almost squeezing the cat, “I’ve ventured out into the bogs, just as I said I would.”

The bone witch remained quiet while the altar witch chuckled menacingly.

“But before I went and risked my life, I formed a contract with Cú-Sith. I didn’t know it was him at first, but as we ventured into the bog and he used his powers to protect me, I soon found out that it was really him.” His blue eyes met the bone witch’s own, “I saw _many_  things within the bogs and I acquired knowledge that will help us in protecting ourselves from the creatures that roam around us. Cú-Sith agreed to help me in exchange for gifts, and I’ve accepted his demands.”

“Lies! _Lies!"_  The altar witch yelled loudly, unwilling to believe that Lance would meet their god. She was the only one in her mind who had that privilege.

“You’ve formed a contract with a fae.” The bone witch noted the mark on his neck, “You’re under a geas. That is a contract one cannot escape until completing the terms of the contract you’ve formed.”

“I’m aware.” Lance nodded, “Cú-Sith asked for nothing more than gifts and sweet words in exchange for his help.” The young witch paused, looking down at the black cat that was watching and listening to everything carefully, “The altar witch is right when she says that Cú-Sith is kind. He really is.”

The bone witch observed him carefully and with a critical eye, her bones rattling as she moved them onto her hips, “Then I take it that you being here is also because of his protection?”

“It is. Cú-Sith, or Keith as I call him, brought me back home after we found the girl.”

“And did you bring her back to her sister?” The bone witch asked curiously, and it was here that Lance felt uncomfortable to admit that she was right from the very beginning. The girl… Romelle… she was a fae that tried to deceive him.

“She is back with her family.” Is all he said to that, not wanting the witch to catch onto it, despite her probably getting a gist of what happened to said girl just by seeing his unwillingness to say anything else, “The bog is even more dangerous than we think it is.” Lance wanted to think that his words would have an effect on the two but he doubted words alone could express just how _terrifying_  the bogs were, “I firmly believe that without Cú-Sith’s protection, we wouldn’t be here today.”

“As I have very well said!” The altar witch pointed a thin finger towards him accusingly, snapping her walking stick on the floor, “I warned you all! It is through his protection we live! We must give all we have!”

“He doesn’t _want_  the ears!” Lance shouted back, his arms tightening around Keith, who was silently watching the happenings around him. The weight of the fae in his arms was reassuring, giving him the validation he needed to keep from backing down, because  _he_  knew Keith a lot better in one day than the altar witch knew after a century of service. “All he wanted was milk and honey! He thinks this is grotesque.”

“How _dare_  you?” The altar witch shrieked, stomping her stick angrily, “I have devoted my entire life to this! I made the sacrifices needed!”

“Sacrifices?” The bone witched turned on the deranged woman, “You’ve made no sacrifices! It is the people of Dreadwarren that sacrificed. All you’ve done is fall into madness!”

“I am not mad.” The witch stomped her stick again, “I am the only one willing to do what has to be done to win the favor of our god and keep the bog away!”

“No, you’re a selfish old crone making excuses to _eat_  people’s body parts.” Lance spat, disgusted, his arms tightening, “You’ve lied to all of us and shamed the very god you love so much!”

The woman let out an ear piercing screech, lunging forward. Lance instinctively dropped Keith, sending the cat to the floor as the tanned witch moved to defend upwards. The altar witch slammed into him, sending them both to the floor. The altar witch was trying to bite him, her teeth rapidly opening and closing, only held back by his hand against her forehead. He looked towards his magic, focusing on _pushing_  her off. There was a ripple in the air as the altar witch was flung into the air by his magic, landing on the floor with a thud a few feet away.

The youngest witch scrambled, forcing himself back to his feet, head whipping around. The bone witch was already moving, her bone rattle in hand as she got ready to take down the wild woman that had just assaulted him.

Keith must have decided he had enough of this, because he was trotting forward on his little cat feet, heading straight for the other two witches, a fierce little glare on his fuzzy face. Lance moved, scooping the fae’s cat body up to keep him from doing anything while the bone witch did...something...to keep the altar witch down.

Shit, what were they going to do with her?

The village would want to send her into the bogs once they heard, just like they did the murderers or other violent offenders.. He didn’t like that idea at _all_  though, now that he knew what was out there. Still, they couldn’t just let her go either, she was a mad woman that hurt all of them, and they didn’t exactly have a prison in their tiny village. She also didn’t have her own family, he thinks.

Fuck.

There wasn’t time to wonder, because the altar witch scrambled up and was flinging herself against the bone witch, chewing at the bones like some sort of wild animal. The bone witch looked more offended than anything once she gained her bearings, taking her hands and pushing the woman off, “Unhand my bones!”

“You’re all liars!” The altar witch’s voice turned into something venomous, almost monster like, “Without me there would be no way for us to speak to Cú-Sith! He only answers to my calls! Hahahaha! You’re nothing without me!”

Lance clenched his jaw, focusing his magic to get the crazed altar witch off the bone witch. He willed air to move with such force that it managed to push her onto the wall, letting out a pained cry as her body managed to knock some of the candles down onto the ground.

The fire of the candles slowly caught aflame on the wood of the floor, growing rapidly in size. Lance and the bone witch took immediate action to stop it, using water magic to quell the flames. However, while they did that the altar witch took her chance to attack, willing the wood of the floor to turn into roots, rapidly moving to take Lance by surprise and pin him against the wall with a thud. Keith fell from his arms, his small feet landing onto the wooden floor without harm.

The young witch’s breath hitched, feeling himself shake at the reminder of what vines did to him within the bogs. He’ll have his hand broken… No… _no_ …

“Cú-Sith will demand blood for your treachery!” The altar witch laughed, her body suddenly morphing and turning into something ugly. Both the bone witch and Lance were shocked as they watched her body transform, taking the shape of a massive serpent like creature. It was unlike anything Lance had seen before in his life. “I’m the god’s ser-Agh!” The creature hissed when the bone witch willed her magic at it, doing enough damage to free Lance who gasped once the vines were off of him, leaving him panting on the ground.

His blue eyes moved to see the bone witch trying to pin down the creature, although he was quick to notice the small black cat dangerously close now, slowly beginning to glow.

Quiznak.

Lance hurried to his feet before he even knew it, throwing himself onto the feline to prevent him from doing anything they’ll regret later, “Keith! Wait, don’t do anything! Let me handle it.” He pleaded, hoping the fae would let the witches fight the battle on their own. Luckily the glow ceased but the cat didn’t seem set on remaining a bystander any longer. The young witch swallowed a large lump in his throat, standing to face the other witches.

“I’ll be the one relaying Cú-Sith’s messages to our people! I shall speak of truth and only the truth.” Lance swore, earning a loud growl from the creature. He had to make a painful decision of what they could do with the crazed witch, and he thinks he finally knows just what kind of punishment she deserves.

They won’t throw her into the bog. That would have been too cruel of a fate. Instead, they will seal her within a jar. She’d be asleep within it, unaware of the passage of time. It was the best way to save both the village and give the altar witch’s soul some rest. She’d been his mother’s ally once… he couldn’t bear to take her life.

Lance used his magic to pick up a jar, eyes moving onto the bone witch, “We’ll seal the evil spirit away! It’s the best thing we could do in a situation like this!”

The bone witch nodded in agreement, moving towards the other side of the creature the altar witch had become. The creature lashed out, swinging its tail to sweep them off their feet. Lance dodged it, just barely jumping over the edge of her tail. The bone witch was out of range, rattling her bones again and preparing the chant for the spell they needed. The brunette witch joined her, whispering the chant under his breath, holding the glass jar lofty between his hands.

The altar witch wasn’t giving up just yet though, swiping at them with her new reptilian body, snapping and hissing while the two of them weaved away from her, trying to keep her from damaging them. Keith watched from where Lance had left him, keen eyes settled on them as the battle played out before him.

He felt it when the spell started working, the magic he and the bone witch were sharing pulling at him. He heard the creature shriek, her dangerous mawl stretching open and letting out a horrible shriek. She started writhing, her body squirming and knocking over several tables and pots as it fell.

Lance took his chance to rush forward, holding up the jar as she wriggled around, slamming the opened lid against his body and chanting the spell quickly, the words falling from his lips heavy with his magic. The bone witch was next to him now, her own hands on the altar witch’s body, words matching his as they continued  the ritual.

Magic spilled from them, and the altar witch gave out a final cry as she was pulled into the jar. The brunette didn’t hesitate for even a moment, slamming the top back onto the jar and letting out the final words needed to keep her sealed.

And then it was over, all was quiet.

The bone witch and he panted, sharing a look between themselves as everything ended. The elderly woman wiped the sweat from her brow, bones still rattling, “It’s over.”

“Yeah…” Lance held up the jar, staring at the clay piece, “We’ll have to tell everyone about this.”

“We haven’t a choice but to, least they think you and I murdered her.” The older witch frowned at the jar, tapping a finger against it, “We’ll have to keep that out of reach.”

“They’re going to be so mad.” Lance whispered, “They’re going to be furious.”

“I’m more worried about the orphans she wanted to eat.” The bone witch spat, eyes flickering over the altar before sighing heavily, “I suppose I can take care of them if you can take care of the altar duties.”

“Oh…” Lance trailed off. He’d forgotten that they all sort of had their own jobs to do. Now that the altar witch was gone, the two of them would have to split her duties between them, that is unless they wanted to find yet another witch to join them. For now, though, there was no one to look after the worship house.

Lance looked around himself, noting the candles as well as the large tapestry that was hung in the middle of the front wall. He always looked at the image of the large direwolf in thoughts that it was Cú-Sith, but now that he knew better, he could fix that. No…wait…an idea came to his mind, making his lips curve.

“Leave the altar duties to me.” The young witch put his hands on the hips, standing confidently in place, “There will be a lot of changes that’ll take place here. With Cú-Sith’s help, we’ll transform this house and its surroundings into true worshipping grounds. There will be no lies, and no unnecessary sacrifices. All will be done as Cú-Sith wants, and no more gifts will be given than necessary.”

“You may say that child, but we won’t really know if you’re lying or not.” The bone witch noted, her old and knowledgeable eyes looking at him curiously, “Greed can overcome any of us.”

“You’re right.” Lance agreed with that, “But all I can do is swear that I won’t lie.” Then another idea hit him, “We should both go to the village and gather the people. We’ll tell them what happened to the altar witch and then I’ll swear my loyalty to the people and Cú-Sith. That should give the people some assurance that the same mistakes won’t happen.”

“I like the idea child.” Seeing nothing wrong in his plan, the bone witch nodded, “But before we call upon the people, I’ll need to go home and replenish my strength. Then I’ll join you to speak to the people.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Lance smiled while the bone witch slowly made her leave, pausing at the door to look at Lance one more time.

“I’ll have you tell me about the bogs later, after everything is settled.” She turned, her feet finding themselves on the dirt path, “I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll change this place.” She showed him the jar holding the altar witch within, “I’ll take care of this and make sure it remains untouched.”

“Alright. Prepare to be blown away.” Lance teased, unable to see the small smile on the bone witch’s face. The older witch left, closing the door behind her so that Lance and Keith were left alone. Silence took over, the remaining candles lighting up the room, as dark as Lance always remembered it to be, only this time a bit darker due to the absence of the few candles that were blown out.

Keith stood up from where he was, his small paws hitting the ground as he made his way to Lance. His body slowly transformed back into its humanoid form, ridding himself of fur in favour of human skin, “The humans are incredibly rude.” The fae spat, crossing his arms hatefully, “If it weren’t for you, I would have punished them right after the questions left their lips.”

“I knew you’d do that.” Lance smiled, turning to face the fae, “But I’m glad you didn’t, otherwise you’d give away who you really are.” Blue eyes moved onto the tapestry once again, his smile widening at the sight of the drawn direwolf, “I can’t believe we’ve mistaken you for your steed this entire time.”

Keith’s gaze followed his, settling onto the image. He frowned deeply, clicking his tongue, “Humans are incredibly rude. Not only with their questions, but also by showing devotion to my steed rather than myself. At least Kosmo will be thrilled to hear about this.”

Lance let out a quiet chuckle, both relieved that they’ve managed to stop the tradition of cutting one’s ears, but also saddened that they had to do this to the altar witch. Just like the bone witch, she had been a close friend of his mother’s. In a way he saw the both of them as his grandmothers, warming their way into his heart over the years.

It was disturbing to think the altar witch would be a cannibal but hopefully she finds some peace in the jar that is now her new home.

The young witch shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts, instead deciding to turn to Keith, a smile returning to his face. This was a start of a new way of worship for them. One that was fair and just to both Keith and the villagers. Lance would make sure they both lived in harmony and peace together.

He took steps towards the fae, taking his hand. Keith’s curious eyes watched him as he raised their hands up, confused by the sudden action. Lance kept smiling as he looked at him, their eyes meeting, “Keith, I know that the worshipping house looks like… this…right now, but with some decorating and changes, we can make it one of the most beautiful houses in the village. We’ll get rid of the candles and we’ll put up a large tapestry depicting you in your honour.”

A small blush crept onto his cheeks, but he prevented himself from looking away, “I’d like to give you this house as my first gift to you. I don’t know if you’ll accept it, or if you like it, but I thought that since you want to study human customs, that you’d like to have a house of your own. As you’ve seen, humans live in these houses, so you’d have your own as well. W-We’ll work on redecorating it together and make it so that you can come here whenever you visit the village. We can even put up flowers in the front or anything else you’d like.”

It was here that Lance looked away, too embarrassed to keep looking into those violet eyes. He didn’t know if Keith would accept this, but he hopes he does just to save himself the embarrassment, “I hope you’ll accept my gift to you.”

Keith took a moment, humming to himself and thinking. His eyes flickered over the room and all it’s trinkets and accommodations, mostly overtaken by the altar, but with enough space for someone to live if needed. He nodded, humming his approval, “I accept.”

Lance’s heart fluttered a bit and he smiled, “Great! Great. We’ll definitely clean up this place! It’ll be one of the nicest houses ever. And...and...I’ll make sure the tapestry is accurate this time...and we’ll paint the walls!”

“Lance, it’s fine.” Keith stepped up to the altar, staring at Kosmo’s image, “This gift is very fine. Flowers and paint wouldn’t be remiss, but as itself the house is a good first gift.”

The tanned witch blushed, watching the fae examine his new house. Keith seemed to be fine for the most part, though he did wrinkle his nose at the lingering line of ears that were strung up on the ceiling. Lance found he couldn’t do anything but watch the fae, everything he did hypnotic in it’s own way. Blue eyes lingered as Keith reached out, tugging at the edge of the tapestry, “Kosmo might like this as a gift.”

“Yeah…” Lance nodded absentmindedly, watching Keith stretch and tug the fabric. Keith turned back to him, humming thoughtfully before dropping it, “I think I’ll leave it here though. Let the villagers  remember my noble friend watches them.”

“Yeah…” Lance nodded again, agreeing just to agree. He didn’t know how he was going to break the news to the people of Dreadwarren, but maybe keeping the old tapestry near the new one he’d commission would reassure people. He licked his lips, watching Keith, “I’m glad you like it.”

“I like any gifts you have to give me Lance.” Keith picked up a candle, turning it over in his hands, “Except cheap clothes. No cheap clothes.”

“I know.” The witch leaned his hands on his hips, “You’d skin me if I got you those.” _Never_  give fae cheap clothes. They’d take it as a sign of their worth to you, which in this case, wouldn’t be good at all. Lance sighed, looking around the dusty room, “We could make some windows to allow the light to come in.”

Keith hummed, touching at the candle’s wax, “I appreciate the darkness of the house. I also like the candles.” And it were Keith’s words that will be listened to. Well, Lance was fine with that, as long as they got rid of the ears.

He unwillingly looked up, dreading the thought of touching the ears _at all_. “I can’t touch those ears.” He let Keith know, “It’d be great if you can do something with them, and I know you don’t like them neither.”

Violet eyes moved up to look at them in disgust, using his power to make them disappear all at once. Lance blinked once all of the ears were gone, probably taken to a place within the bogs where a creature will eat them.

The thought of it made Lance feel uneasy, as well as regretful. Instead of being eaten, those ears could have been put to a much better use to let people hear better. But that which is taken cannot be returned, that is a rule of life.

Lance tried to push those thoughts away, instead deciding to focus on Keith. He’d given Keith the worshipping house as his first gift, which meant that he was free for this week. The only thing left to do was for him to give Keith sweet words and that would really be _it_ , only for this week.

He’ll have to think of what to say, but devoting himself to it later would be a better choice for him now. The people need to know what happened, and they need to know that their children won’t have their ears cut off once they become of age.

His only fear is that the villagers will be angered. He knew all of them, they were like his family, but at the notion that they gave up their ears for nothing, it may cause a riot. Lance sighed, moving his hand through his hair, “The fae have it easier than us.” He spoke in thought, “You don’t have to worry about the dangers of everyday life, nor do you worry about what you’ll eat the next day. I mean, you probably do to some extent but it’s not as bad as us humans.” His mind drifted to a curious thought, “For all I know, life within your realm may be a paradise.”

“My father constantly tries to encourage my death so he can keep me in Annwen.” Keith spoke idly, twisting a candle between his hands, “And my mother frequently disappears for days at a time. And I spent my entire childhood within a cave, with monsters trying to break in whenever my mother was away. Somedays I would be out of food long before she returned.”

Lance flinched back.

“She doesn’t mean to abandon me, I think.” Keith shook his head, “But I did not grow up within my mother’s arms. I was raised in part by my father, when he could come to the living world, and then my brother. My mother came later.”

Keith’s eyes flickered over Lance, “I’m no stranger to hunger, or danger. But I am a stranger to community. I’m in far more danger around other fae than I am in this bog.”

Keith shook his head, “Never assume you know the life of another, you’ll offend someone.”

The fae didn’t say anymore, he walked out of the house, the door closing behind him. Lance was left alone, fidgeting in place, waiting for the other to come back. But after a few minutes Keith still hadn’t returned. Lance realized the other probably wasn’t coming back, struck in disbelief. It didn’t feel right for Keith not to be here, for him to be _gone_. He felt cold without Keith, empty, like there was a vast space that needed filling he hadn’t known about, one that Keith filled.

Lance scrambled for the door, throwing it open, “Keith!”

The tanned witch looked around, but the fae wasn’t there. He was gone. He’d left. Lance had chased him away with a few unthinking words. He whipped his head around, trying to find a black cat, or another animal, or _something_  that told him Keith was really there. But he didn’t even see the orphans, much less a cat.

Had he left? Had he _really_  left?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Welp! Lance practices his conflict resolution skills!!!! Go Lance!
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: It took us a bit longer to update but here it is! Hope you liked the chap <3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

The witch bit his lip, stepping out of the house. No. No, Keith wouldn’t have left him. Keith knew his family was a danger to Lance right now. He wouldn’t leave. So the witch cupped a hand to his mouth, “Keith! I didn’t mean it!”

But Keith didn’t answer.

“Keith! Come back!” Lance called, “You’re acting like a baby!”

“I’m right here.” A voice sounded next to him. Lance whipped around, turning to see the fae tucked next to the side of the house, his head peeking just past the side wall where he’d been hidden from sight. He had gotten a paintbrush from _somewhere_ , the paint dripping from the end, “I didn’t leave, I decided to give myself time to paint glyphs on the side of the house. I don’t want uninvited guests, especially not Lotor.”

“Keith!” Lance rushed to his side, “I thought you’d left!”

“I did. I left the room.” Keith shrugged, “I thought we both needed space. You seemed upset. I certainly am after everything that happened the last two days.”

“You don’t understand.” Lance breathed, “I thought I chased you off, that you weren’t coming back.”

“No, I just walked outside.” Keith tilted his head, “I wouldn’t leave you when Lotor and Allura are both after you.”

Thank goodness.

Lance let out a huge sigh of relief, leaning himself against the side of the wall. He really did think that Keith had left, just like that. There’s nothing holding him here, so if he wanted, he could leave anytime he wants. He wasn’t under a geas anymore, as free as a bird as far as contracts or agreements went but that was the thing. Lance didn’t want him to leave yet. Keith gave him a sense of security but at the same time he was an interesting companion to be around. They bonded within the bogs, even though he wouldn’t admit it, they did.

He wants to learn about Cú-Sith, their protector. It wasn’t long since he’d met Keith, but he couldn’t imagine him leaving like this.

“Tell me the next time you decide to leave. I was worried for a second there.” Lance’s words made Keith pause for a second.

“I suppose you should be worried about me leaving.” The fae teased, resuming what he was doing, “You’d be an easy target for Allura and Lotor then.”

“Yeah… that too.” The witch fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, “I think we made a great team out in the bogs. I didn’t do much, but we worked together really well. I’d hate to break this friendship we have.”

The fae paused again, his lips curving just a tiniest bit. He raised the brush up to Lance’s face, holding it close, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d like to keep me around.”

“N-No! Nope! Nothing like that.” He gently pushed away Keith’s hand with the brush, “I just don’t want you disappearing on me when there are two fae kings looking to steal our virginities.” That was part of the truth but he was too stubborn to admit the other truth to Keith right now. After Keith told him a bit about his past, he couldn’t help but want to help the fae.

Giving Keith this house as a gift was the best thing he could have done. He can’t apologise to Keith for assuming things, but he’ll make it up to him with his gifts. Ugh, if only the fae saw “sorry” for what it was, it would be a whole lot easier to communicate with them.

Perhaps Keith’s past may have something to do with him wanting nothing but honey as offerings? Lance didn’t know just how different his requests were from other fae, but he’d like to guess that they’d ask for more. In that case, Keith is a blessing to their village, “B-But you’re nice to have around.” Lance admitted, giving Keith at least that, “And I have honey in my cottage. We could share it if you’d like.”

“I adore honey.” Keith perked up, “And it would, of course, be free.”

“Of course.” Lance nodded,  “I’ll even make you more sweets, for free, as your friend.”

This time Keith even smiled. This wasn’t like his wicked grins, or his sly smirks, this was a genuine, happy, smile. It was infectious, beautiful, and it lit up his whole face and made him more beautiful, “I would love to share honey with you my friend.”

Lance blushed, grabbing Keith’s wrist, “Then let’s go.”

Keith grinned, closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms around the tanned witch. Lance blushed, sputtering a bit in surprise before wriggling his hands out of the hold and placing them on the other’s shoulder, forcing the fae away, “Whoa! Too close!”

“I thought that’s what you were getting ready to do.” Keith frowned, clearly disappointed, “You said we’re friends. I thought you wanted to.”

Lance blushed again, stumbling over his  _carefully selected_  next words, “Y-Yeah, we’re friends...b-but you have to give a guy a warning next time! So I’m mentally prepared!”

Keith’s smile returned at that, “Then we can do more hugs.”

“Y-Yeah, but only if I say yes to one first!” Lance scratched the back of his head, “We have to teach you about personal space.”

“I still don’t get it.” Keith stated idly, “But I don’t care as long as I get more of those hugs. I was particularly fond of our bed hug.”

“Which didn’t happen!” Lance cried, folding his arms into an X shape, “No. Nadda, didn’t happen. There were no cuddles.”

“So it’s called a cuddle if it’s in bed.” Keith hummed, more interested in that than Lance’s denial, “Interesting."

“That would mean that you prefer cuddles to hugs.” Lance said before he realised he did it, blushing before looking away, “Ehem! But before we get home and munch on some honey we’ll need to stop by the village to announce that the altar witch is gone.” Which meant that Keith had to transform into a cat, “I think you should turn into a cat again. Someone might see you here.”

The smile was still on Keith’s face, amused that Lance indulged him in his preferences in hugs. He decided that he’ll experiment with both hugs and cuddles, willing to learn which one he really liked more. Although, as Lance said, he thinks he’ll prefer cuddles instead, “Alright, but we’re eating honey after that.”

“It’s a friend’s promise.” Lance assured, his blush calming down. He must have said the right thing because Keith’s smile didn’t go away, remaining on his face as he transformed, turning back into a black cat. He stretched his new feline body as Lance kneeled down to pick him up. Keith felt warm and soft against his chest, giving Lance the courage he needed to address the people.

“Just so you know, this isn’t a hug.” The witch teased, almost squealing in utter cuteness when kitty Keith raised a brow, looking up at him confusingly. Oh god… kitty Keith is adorable, “I’m holding you and that’s why it’s not a hug.” He gave the fae some explanation, hoping it will do before they got back home.

Lance made his way to the village, surprised to see that some of the villagers already gathered on the main path. He saw the bone witch standing in front of the crowd as they chattered. She was most likely the one responsible for their gathering. Approaching her, Lance wanted to ask if that was the case, “There are a lot of people already here.”

“There are.” The witch nodded, “I’ve asked the children to help me bring everyone here. They’re out running to get the remaining villagers, but for the most part, everyone is already here.”

Lance moved his hand to pet along Keith’s fur, earning a purr in return. Quiznak, curse Keith and his cuteness! But at least it distracted him from the task at hand. It had to be done, but he dreaded the thought that he’d have to be the one to announce what the altar witch did to all of them.

They needed to know the truth.

Lance took in a deep breath, giving Keith one more pat before speaking up, “Greetings villagers of Dreadwarren! Thank you for gathering on such short notice. As one of the three witches, I’ve come here along with the bone witch to tell you about a discovery we made.”

The chatter ceased, small whispers remaining among the crowd. All eyes were on him, and as Lance looked at them all, he couldn’t overlook the fact that almost all of these people were missing one ear. The sight alone made him feel all kinds of different things, “We’ve sealed the altar witch within this jar.” He motioned towards the bone which who held the jar up for everyone to see, “We did that because we’ve learned that… th-that…” He bit his lip, crushed by the ignorant stares of the people standing in front of him, “The altar witch lied about Cú-Sith’s wishes. Cú-Sith did not wish for our ears.”

The outrage wasn’t as immediate as Lance thought it would be. First came confusion, with the crowd muttering among themselves, asking for clarification. They were honestly confused, some even indingint at the suggestion. He and the bone witch were forced to clarify that the altar witch had fallen to madness and demanded ears for her own consumption rather than for Cú-Sith’s wishes. Lance held onto Keith, petting him furiously for comfort, the words falling from his lips heavily.

 _That_  was when the outrage began. It was slow, at first, with shouted denials and attempted justifications. People tried to make sense of it at first, something he’d expected to happen, but as the people quickly ran out of excuses outrage began to spread. Lance could spot Hunk in the back, his face paling as he grabbed onto Shay, who was starting to shake. Things broke down more after that as many of the villagers started yelling, anger overcoming the crowd.

“She lied to us!” One man yelled, hand to his missing ear, “We’s should toss ‘er into the bog!”

There were shouts of agreement spreading, many fresh with rage. Lance swallowed, holding his hands up, “But we’ve already taken care of her. She can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

That didn’t seem to help much, the fury still fresh, and debates broke out between all the villagers. Arguments about the witch, the altar, when exactly the woman went mad or if she’d always been that way. The village where all a giant shouting match now, everyone torn and pointing fingers. Hunk had stepped in the middle of it all, holding arguing groups back and keeping them from fighting one another physically. The blacksmith may very well be the only reason an all out brawl hadn’t broken out.

“That’s enough!” The bone witch shouted over the crowd, stepping between them with her rattling bones. She held out her arms, her presence enough to quiet people for a bit. She crossed her arms, looking very much ashamed of all of them, “Look at you all! Acting like children! Yes, we’ve been betrayed, but now is not the time to turn on each other.”

The bone witch turned to point at the altar, “Right now we have do our best to make sure nothing such as this happens again. Lance and I will be taking over the altar witch’s duties until we can find more help. Until then you’ll act like adults and keep from tearing each other apart!”

The crowd didn’t seem appeased by this. Arguing with the woman further, some demanding the altar witch be hanged for her treachery. Keith was starting to fidget now, and Lance wasn’t having fun with the arguments either.

“I know you’re all hurt.” Lance raised his voice, trying to get everyone’s attention, “You’ve all been lied to for centuries and something like that isn’t justifiable. Nobody will ever be able to repay you for the wrongdoings that were caused. We can’t change the past, and yet here we are, ready to embark on a new future.” He hoped that the notion of a brighter future would appeal to them all, even though he didn’t believe that it could soothe their pain. All it could do was calm them before they all scattered to their homes and shed tears.

“I’m not trying to say that you shouldn’t be angry or enraged. Show those emotions, you have the right to be all those things and more. But the one thing I’d like to ask of you is to understand why the bone witch and I did what we did. There was no other way to punish the altar witch for what she did. It was the only way for us to ensure that she wouldn’t roam the village freely or attempt to do more than eat your ears. Within the jar she can’t harm anyone.”

“That’s not enough!” A voice of a villager called, “She shouldn’t be allowed to rest peacefully within the jar! She has to experience the same pain we suffered all these years! She should suffer ten times the pain!”

“Yeah! Burn the witch!”

“Throw her into the bog!”

“Let the ghouls eat her!”

“Or vampires feast on her blood!”

The crowd got rowdier which made Lance panic. He pushed Keith closer into his chest, finding comfort in the black cat’s presence, “We won’t do any of those things! If we do, we’d be the same as her!”

“You naive child!” A woman yelled, “We all know that you’re still young! Naive in your ways of thinking! You should let the adults handle this!”

“None of you have seen what I’ve seen!” Lance yelled again, the crowd becoming quiet to listen to what he had to say, “I’ve _been_  within the bogs! Deep where nobody dared to enter. I’ve seen and heard many different things,  _bone chilling_  and terrifying things. There were screams and yells all around, and there were many different creatures that I thought I knew how to defend against, but it turned out that I knew _nothing_  about them at all!”

Lance moved his hand to pet it along Keith’s fur, “The bogs weren’t what we thought they were. They’re much crueler and colder than anything else I’ve seen in my entire life. Words can’t even describe the horrors within, but if I had to say, it resembled hell.” He noticed confused stares and he understood why that was.

“I’ve formed a contract with Cú-Sith before entering the bogs, and that’s why I’m standing before you now. It’s because of him that I was able to go in and come out alive to tell the tale. And after seeing the bogs, I understand now that it’s only because of Cú-Sith’s protection that we’re all living peacefully within Dreadwarren. But! There is a way for us to protect ourselves even further, and gain more of Cú-Sith’s blessings.” Those words caught everyone’s attention.

“Cú-Sith, our protector, agreed to pass onto me his knowledge of creatures that live within the bogs. With that, the bone witch and I will be able to create potions so that we can defend the village against those creatures. We’ll experiment with new magic as well, write runes in the dirt to further prevent the creatures from harming us. We can do so many things now that Cú-Sith is on our side. From this day forward, our way of life will change.”

“ _Pfft!_ This kid is daydreaming!”

“Shush! Don’t bully the child!! I believe in his words.”

“Tis right! I’ve known young Lance since he was wearing diapers! I’ve never seen a kid with a bigger heart than him! He can tell no lies!”

“That’s true! He even believed me when I said that the sky turns red because of a giant dragon’s fire!”

“But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be lying to us! We trusted the altar witch and look where that got us!”

“That old relic was mad from the beginning! We all knew that!”

“I trusted her! I gave my ears for her!”

“We’re the victims! But we shouldn’t blame young Lance for it! And neither should we blame the bone witch!”

“I have proof of my contract with Cú-Sith.” Lance spoke again, getting their attention. He pulled the collar of his shirt to reveal the mark that was on his neck, “This is a mark formed by a geas. It is a pledge used to seal our contract. In exchange for helping me in my quest, I have to present Cú-Sith with a gift every week.”

The villagers all focused on the mark, clearly seeing the darkened skin, “I’ve met Cú-Sith and he told me that he wants nothing more than honey from us. So in exchange for his protection, we’ll only give him honey and place it in front of our porches.”

“Nothing else?”

The people began to whisper among themselves again, startled that honey was _all_  they had to give.

“That’s all he wishes for.” Lance nodded, “I’ll take over the altar witch’s duties of taking care of the worshipping grounds. I swear to you that I’ll only relay what Cú-Sith asks of me, nothing more. And as proof of our new friendship, I’ve gifted Cú-Sith with our worshipping house. Cú-Sith is a kind fae, he won’t hurt you, even if you visit his house.”

“Cú-Sith has been kind to us for centuries.”

“He is our god after all.”

“I always believed in Cú-Sith.”

“And he’ll be glad to protect us. This is his home now too.” Lance ran his hand through the cat’s fur softly at that, “If you don’t believe in me, then believe in Cú-Sith whom you’ve trusted all these years. And if you think I’m lying, then that’s fine too. All you have to know is that your children won’t have their ears cut off when they become of age. You won’t have to give anything else other than honey for Cú-Sith’s friendship.”

“Friendship?” The crowd seemed confused now.

“Yeah.” Lance nodded, “Cú-Sith lives among us now, and as we as are family, we’ll let him join us.”

“Haha! Interesting! I never thought I’d see our god as a family member.”

“It is a new perspective.”

“You are a strange, strange child Lance.”

“That’s how he’s always been.” Hunk smiled, leaning his hands on his hips, “I trust Lance. I know he’d never lie to us. He’s too naive to do that.”

“Thanks Hun-Hey!” The brunette scolded, “I’m a powerful witch!”

“You’re the naive member of our family. Deal with it.” The blacksmith teased, earning a few giggles from the rest of the crowd.

“I believe you too.” Shay spoke, holding her hands together in front of her chest, “We’ll have to live like this…” She leaned one of her hands onto the side of her head that is missing an ear, “But we’ll have to accept that. If it were any other fae, they might have asked for our ears after all.”

“That’s true.” Another villager, a female, agreed, “Or we might have been forced to give up our newborns.”

“Or our names. We’d enslave ourselves to the fae then.”

“Nothing justifies what was done.” Lance sighs, lowering his gaze, “I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to protect this village along with Cú-Sith, our home. And you can come to check on what I do every day if you’d like. I have nothing to hide. This way you’ll know that I’m attending to my tasks as I should.”

“Nah! I trust you enough to know that you wouldn’t betray us like that.” An older man said, wobbly on his feet and leaning onto a stick, “This old man has already seen enough.”

“I’d like to visit sometime.” Shay and a couple of others agree to that, “Maybe we could help decorate the worshipping house anew.”

Lance smiled at that, “Cú-Sith likes it as is but we could use a new tapestry. It’d be awesome if you could make one.”

“Of course! I’d be an honour!” Shay and her friends smiled, itching to begin making the said item. Keith swinged his tail curiously as he watched the villagers talk among themselves, some still expressing their anger, others crying, while a few smiled in delight of a new future. His curious violet eyes looked up at Lance’s soft face, observing it closely. He could agree with the villagers when they said that Lance was naive, but to Keith, he was also very beautiful in that way. His blue eyes shone bright without a tint of deceit, full of honesty and goodwill.

Hunk made his way over to Lance, throwing an arm around his shoulder, arms slightly brushing  against the cat as he leaned in to whisper, “By the way,  _why didn’t you tell me you were in the bogs?_ Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“Hunk, I’m fine.” Lance pulled away, his hand stroking Keith’s fur, “I’m not going to lie, it was horrifying, and I’ll never forget what I saw out there, but Cú-Sith was there the entire time.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Hunk fidgeted, sweating nervously, “Man, you should have told me. I would have went with you in a heartbeat.”

“No, you would have stopped me.” Lance smiles at his friend, shaking his head, “I was a fool, I knew you would stop me if I told you, so I didn’t. I should learn to listen to you, even if it’s only something you haven’t actually said.”

Blue eyes meet brown, “Hunk...I wasn’t kidding when I said the bogs were so much worse than I thought. I figured it was a cluster of wraiths at worst, maybe a stray vampire, but now, it’s so much worse.”

“Lance, buddy.” Hunk frowned, placing his hands on Lance’s shoulders, “You know you can talk to me, right?”

“I know, but right now…” Lance shook his head, the memory of the unicorn playing in his mind, with its too long arms and its slimy tongue, “...I...you wouldn’t understand. You won’t  _get it_  yet. I have to tell you about the things I saw there, but...I’m…”

He buried his face in Keith’s soft fur, “I’m just glad we got away. I...Hunk...you need to practice not asking questions just in case a fae is nearby...and...and marry Shay as soon as possible. Being a...a...virgin is dangerous out there, _really dangerous_.”

“Lance.” Hunk frowned, biting his lip, “You’re scaring me.”

“There’s scary stuff out there.” Lance shook his head, eyes meeting Hunk’s, “ _Never_  get too close to the bog Hunk. I know you know this, but it was worse than we thought.”

Hunk shivered, hugging himself.

“I’m dealing with it pretty well actually.” Lance smiled at his friend, “I actually made it through fairly well. I’m safe now. The monsters out there can’t get us here, and things will be even better now.”

“I know they will but it’ll take us time to recover from this.” The larger of the two stepped to the side so that they could both look at the crowd of villagers, “At least you’ve managed to calm everyone somewhat.”

“It’s not enough.” The brunette lowered his gaze, looking at the black cat whose ears were perked up, looking all around, “All I want is for them to know the truth, both about the altar witch and the bogs. Cú-Sith is a kind fae but even then the villagers should be wary. I know Cú-Sith won’t harm us, but they should be cautious of the fae. You really should practice on the questions Hunk. Trust me, I learned it the hard way.”

“Now you’re scaring me even more bud.” Hunk whined, “I’ll let everyone know about the questions then, and fae tricks.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Lance agreed, “Thanks Hunk.”

“It’s no problem buddy. I should be thanking you for exposing the altar witch. I still can’t believe that…” Hunk absentmindedly touched the side of his head where his missing ear would have been, indulging himself in his thoughts, “I’ll go see how Shay is doing. Wanna tag along?”

“Questions Hunk.” The witch warned.

“Oh… right. Sorry.” Luckily Hunk wasn’t paying attention to the cat within Lance’s arms, otherwise he would have noticed a cute furious face decorated with whiskers.

“You’ll know better next time.” Lance tried to assure Keith more than anyone, attempting to calm the cat, “But no thanks. I’ll be heading back home now. I have a lot of things I need to do.” The witch patted Hunk on the shoulder with a smile before he would turn on his heels to leave, “See you later Hunk. Stay safe, and if you need anything, or if something happens, call me. I’ll come running over right away.”

“Okay. See you buddy!” Hunk smiled back, waving before going to join his girlfriend and see how she was doing. Lance bid his farewell to the bone witch as well, promising that he’ll be attending his new duties at the altar. She grumbled, brushing him off in favour of attending to the orphans. The way she said it was transparent in a way that she ushered him home to rest. They’d had a long day after all, more so for Lance who’d come back from the bogs not long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: So who else is excited for She-Ra tomorrow? Because I'm hyped! Also, I'm more Klance positive than I've ever been and I'm riding the Lotura train all the way to canon town. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Here we are with a new chapter <3 Thank you sooooooooooooo much to nabaris on Tumblr for giving us our first fanart! I love it so much, like you have no idea <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 I wanted to ask you if we could include it here but I'll go ahead and do that now XD You're a blessing thank you!!! And if anyone else wants to draw art too, just know you're more than welcome XD
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	10. Chapter 10

The young witch greeted anyone he saw on his way home, and finally when he found himself on his usual path, surrounded by the tall grass, did he find that there was nobody around. He sighed in relief, letting Keith jump out of his arms.

He began fantasising about reading what Keith wrote in his books, laying down in bed while enjoying his energising potion. Yeah, that definitely sounded _perfect_.

Keith didn’t turn back right away like Lance expected, instead bounding forward as a cat on his little paws. He padded forward, furry little body barely the size of the tall grass next to him. Lance hated how adorable Keith looked like this, because this was a dangerous fae king, not an adorable cat…

Lance really, really, loves cats.

So no one could blame him if he kept his eyes firmly on that tiny cat bounding forward. Keith just made a really good cat. He was soft, and fluffy, like Blue and Red. It wasn’t even fair that someone who was so clearly a dog person was such a good cat.

He was glad for the distraction though, because watching Keith at least kept his eyes from wandering back to the bog, whose fog rolled in heavily. He shivered, keeping his eyes on Keith until they reached home. Keith’s body was so tiny that he had to leap up the stairs one at a time. It was too cute.

Lance had absolutely no problem stepping up onto his porch and opening the door. Swinging it open with a grin and letting Keith pounce inside, “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t eaten all day, let’s get that honey.”

Once the door clicked closed Keith’s body transformed again, growing back into the terribly beautiful fae form, catlike features melting away and clothes replacing fur. Keith’s violet eyes locked onto him as he straightened upright, “Humans are odd.”

“We think fae are odd.” Lance shot back, smiling to show Keith he meant no offence.

“The arguing reminds me of the time my brother’s father wasn’t able to steal back a child he impregnated a woman with.” Keith hummed, eyes rolling upward, “She’d hid herself in a basement of the village’s inn and surrounded herself in salt the night he was coming for the child. He was _furious_. The arguing he had with the rest of his sons lasted for days.”

Lance raised a brow at the information, “Wow. I can’t imagine that turned out well.”

“The storm he made lasted for days.” Keith nodded, walking over, his arms spread, wrapping his hands around Lance before the young witch could protest, “I was little when it happened, my brother and I were stuck in our cave for days.”

“W-Wait!” Lance muttered, feeling the warm arms wrap around him. A blush quickly spread across his face, cursing his _way_  too expressive face, “Y-You didn’t tell me we were going to hug!”

“It’s a surprise hug.” The fae’s tone was teasing, “I saw humans hug without asking before.”

“Y-Yeah but they know what personal space is! Unlike you!” Lance complained, wincing when he heard Keith sniff along where his head was in the crook of his neck. He felt the tip of Keith’s nose brush along his skin, making him shiver at the intimate contact, “Don’t sniff me.” He moved his hands along Keith’s sides, holding onto his upper clothing.

“A person’s scent says a lot about them.” Keith mused, continuing to sniff, “ I can tell how you feel from it as well.”

The brunette quirked a brow, face furiously red, “No you can’t.”

“Yes I can.” He snorted, “I can tell you’re embarrassed. It’s a scent you emit every time we hug.”

“T-That’s because you don’t ask before doing it!” Lance defended, “I thought you wanted to eat honey.”

“I do, but after the hug.” Keith leaned his head closer, inhaling deeply and then exhaling, blowing some of the strands of Lance’s hair, tickling his skin. It made the witch clench his hands onto Keith’s clothing tighter, “I can tell you like the hugs too.”

“No I don’t.”  Lance defended.

“Yes you do. You can’t hide it.” The fae decided to rest his chin against Lance’s shoulder now, letting himself stay like that for a bit, “You’re warm and I like the way you smell.”

As if Lance’s face couldn’t turn even redder, it just somehow managed to do it. The young witch was frozen in place, unknowing what he could do to get himself out of this. Keith was practically glued onto him, which meant that getting him off was going to be a difficult task. For the sake of his poor heart, he had to do it quickly, “K-Keith… If you don’t let go, the honey will go bad. There are special ways humans prepare honey so if you want it to taste good, you’ll have to let go. A-And I can give you milk along with the honey! I know fae like to drink milk and indulge in sweet honey.”

Keith huffed against him, a puff of hot breath hitting his neck, sending goosebumps raising across the skin of his neck. The fae let go, reluctantly, stepping back and giving Lance the space he needed to get away. The brunette gave a sigh of relief, spinning around to hide his face, trying to retain his dignity.

“You go ahead and find something to occupy yourself.” Lance scratched the back of his neck, still not looking at his guest, “I’ll fix the food.”

He heard Keith hum in approval, silently stepping to do...whatever...Lance peeked over his shoulder, watching the fae lean against the window, peering outside. He could just make out a single one of Kosmo’s eyes peeking inside. Oh, he’d forgotten the direwolf was here, hiding in the back near the garden.

“He better not tear up my garden.” Lance huffed, rummaging through his stores for the food. He’d have to get something a little more substantial for his own stomach, but Keith would probably be fine with just the honey. “I’ll starve if he ends up tearing up all the herbs I use to trade for food.”

“Kosmo would never be so rude.” Keith stated proudly, “I raised him well. He’ll never abuse guest rights.”

Lance wondered, for just a moment, what exactly fae thought would be abusing guest rights. Clearly not crawling into bed with their hosts, granted he  _maybe_  had dragged Keith there, but the blatant disregard of personal space and repeated hugging can not be a part of that. He’d have to observe later, for now he had to get the food ready and feed them both.

He grabs a pot and hooks it over the fire. Some stew would be good, and it would be perfect for the coming cold. Stew would last him a few good days. So he chopped through the vegetables he’d gotten from Florona yesterday and took out some stored meat he’d saved from the inn, mixing them into the pot. There was more than enough for both he and Keith over the next few days, just in case the pale king wanted some. Still, the honey and milk was much faster to prepare than the the stew.

He’s not sure exactly how long he’d taken, but when he looks up from his work to check on Keith the noirette had already moved back towards the books, quill in hand, scratching at the page with a crease between his brows. Lance takes a moment to watch, wondering when, exactly, seeing a fae going through his things stopped feeling horrifying and started to feel so...so...normal...right…

Domestic.

He’d met Keith yesterday, but the fae was already wedging his way into Lance’s life. The witch thinks the fae will stick around, for the most part, but he can tell that their bond of some sort is growing. He thinks he’ll miss Keith whenever he’s away.

“Food is ready.” Lance called out, gaining the fae’s attention, “It’s free.”

Keith perked up at that, immediately placing the book and quill down in favour of joining Lance at his lunch table. The fae peeked over the pot, sniffing at the stew inside. He hummed contently at that, his eyes moving onto the witch curiously, “I don’t see the honey and milk.”

“Coming right up. Give me a second.” Lance filled a plate of stew for himself before opening a drawer to take out a jar of honey. He wasn’t sure if he should serve the honey in a jar like this, but he thinks that it’ll be the best way for Keith to eat it. If he put it into anything else, it’ll spill over and there’ll be a mess, “Sit down at the table. I’ll bring you your food.”

“Alright.” Keith’s feet lightly padded across the floor, seating himself in one of the empty chairs. It felt strange for some reason, noting the empty space that all around him. He wondered if it was a human custom to eat with many people around the table.

He perked up when Lance placed a jar of honey in front of him, as well as a large glass of milk. His eyes were practically sparkling in delight, unwilling to look away from the sacred objects. It made Lance smile, bringing over his large pot of stew next, settling it between them in case Keith wanted to try some later, “This is a stew, a human dish. You could try it after the honey if you’d like.”

Violet eyes flew onto the pot, sniffing the air for the aroma that was coming out of it. It smelled really good… “I’ll have some.”

“Okay, I’ll get you a plate then.” Lance smiled, walking back over to his cabinet to take an extra plate. He set it down in front of Keith, then sat next to him. He couldn’t help the strange feeling of… happiness? That passed through him. Or maybe it was because he finally had someone to eat with him who wasn’t Hunk, Shay, or none of the villagers? Maybe it was because unlike them, he knew that Keith wold stay with him for a bit longer.

“Tell me if you like the food.” Lance took ahold of his spoon, “I didn’t make the honey but tell me if you like the stew.”

Keith eyed the stew at first, taking a sniff of it before poking it with his spoon. When he was satisfied that the food wasn't going to attack him or whatever the fae thought was going on, he shoved a bit into his mouth, closing his eyes and humming a bit as he tasted it. The fae’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and Lance couldn’t help but stare.

“It’s good.” Keith stated, pulling the spoon from his mouth, “And warm. I don’t usually have food all mixed together like this. Most of the food in my realm are fruits and wines.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Lance grinned, “Maybe I’ll leave some out for you sometime. I can’t imagine just living off fruit all the time.”

How did that even happen anyway? Did Keith’s realm not go through different seasons like this realm did? The concept seemed strange to him, but then again fae were alway strange and unusual, with magic that doesn’t quite make sense to him. He still hasn’t figured out how fae stole voices and put them in bottles.

“Warm food isn’t _rare_ , per se, but I’m surprised the greens are cooked.” Keith spoons more stew, tasting it again, “There are so many fellows I know that are green themselves, it’s difficult to host a party without offending anyone. That’s why it’s usually nuts, berries, honey and wine for fae.”

“Not a very broad diet.” Lance actually winces, trying to imagine hosting a party where half the guests were animalistic and the other half were partially plant like, as fae tended to be. It was no wonder fae parties notoriously ended in mischief, “I imagine things get out of hand very quickly.”

“I have too many brothers.” Keith looks Lance in the eye, an exasperated look on his face, “My mother, the Morrigan, is actually three different sisters under the same title. My own birth mother had no other children, but any children the other two have are my siblings by right and by magical bond.”

“That’s...not how humans have siblings.” Lance tries to wrap his head around the concept. He didn’t get it at all. Shouldn’t they be cousins rather than siblings? “Human siblings are from the same parents. Unless adoption is involved. I have four siblings, all from my mother.”

“It’s like that with fae too, except if a fae shares their title with another then they’re the same person by magical bond.” Keith frowns, “And, thus, my aunts have my siblings. I’m the only child by my mother’s womb, but not the only child of the Morrigan.”

“I... _think_  I get it.” Lance frowns, still wrapping his head around it, “You must have a lot of siblings then.”

“I do.” Keith groaned, “Too many, and they’re all older than me. At least I’m not my brother Shiro. He’s a son of Herne, and his brothers number in the hundreds.”

“I’ve heard of that.” Lance’s lips twitch, he twirls his spoon in the stew, “He’s never had a girl from our village during Samhain though.”

“Most certainly not.” Keith grumbles around another spoonful of food, “He tried before, thinking I’d let him. But I won’t let him touch any of my vassals.”

Keith continues to grumble about too many siblings, chewing at his food as he did. He paused, staring at the witch, “This is delicious.”

“Potions require a lot of skill.” Lance shrugged, “In comparison, cooking is nothing. Though Hunk cooks better than me.”

Keith nodded, taking his word for it.

“So, from what I understand, you’re the baby of the family.” Lance grinned, perking up at the realization, “As a fellow youngest sibling I give my condolences.”

Keith groans, “If you thought Lotor was bad then you should met Acxa. Or Ezor. Or, gods forbid, _Sven_.”

“Ouch. They sound like a rowdy bunch.” Lance hummed curiously, bringing the spoon up to his lips, “I already met some members of your family, but from first impressions and the way you’re talking about them I don’t think I’ve had the privy of meeting them.”

“I take no offence to that.” They were a troublesome bunch to be around and Keith would admit that any time of the day. The fact that they’re planning a ceremony for them without even asking is proof of it. Oh god… the ceremony… “You might see them again if they decide to come for you. There might be more of them coming.”

Lance tensed a bit at that, suddenly realising that he could possibly have a whole family of powerful fae appear at his home. Would it be just Allura and Lotor who’ll come? What if there are more? Oh no… there might be more of them… “I’m not sure we’ll be safe like this.” He ate a spoonful of stew to warm himself, “It’d be one against an army, if more of your family show up.”

Keith cringed, sticking out his tongue, “Knowing them, they’ll probably come in number.” He paused in thought, “Sven might come. I’m sure that he’ll jump up and down in excitement once he hears of the news.”

Lance hummed curiously, eating more of his stew, “I can’t believe fae would have a tradition like this. For us humans, losing our virginity isn’t so… public.”

“I hate it.” The fae grumbled, “My grandmother is a stubborn old woman. She’s been trying to find me a lover for years now and even told a couple of other fae about me. I’ve had random strangers approach me, trying to court me only because my grandmother told them about me.”

“Wow…” Lance whistled, “She’s really determined to have you sleep with someone.”

The poor fae decided to focus on the wonderful taste of the stew instead of thinking about that old hag, “She thinks she knows what’s best for me. I refuse to commit myself to anyone unless I form a bond with them first.”

“Yeah… I imagine that most grandmothers are like that. I know that Hunk’s granny loves to tell him off about how being a blacksmith is dangerous because he can burn himself. Even though it’s one of the safest jobs one can do in the village.”

The other shrugged, “I don’t want to be stubborn like that when I grow old.”

“Same here.” Old people are just old people. One will never understand them until they become old themselves.

“I didn’t want to tell Shiro about this but I might end up needing to. He’s the only relative who might help me.” Keith spoke in thought, deciding on a plan to better his chances of fighting off his siblings. Shiro’s might definitely help him. Maybe he could even get Pidge’s help as well.

“The more we have on our side the better.” But then again, Lance didn’t have any idea about what fae did in ceremonies like this, “It’d be great if you could tell me a bit about the ceremony. It would help me prepare for in in case they somehow manage to take us.”

Keith placed his spoon down, expression very serious, “I won’t let them take you.”

“Not that I don’t trust in your strength, Keith.” Lance frowned, his stomach twisting, “But your family seems _really_  into this ceremony. I don’t know very much about your family, or their strengths, or even this ceremony and what it’s supposed to mean, but if they’re all determined they can probably over power us.” He didn’t know what he would do if Keith’s family really _did_  try and make them go through the ceremony.

Lance flushed, eyes roaming over the fae. Keith was...is...very attractive. Beautiful in that terrible way all fae were. He was masculine and feminine all in one, and he doesn’t think he would protest _too_  much to losing his virginity to someone like Keith once they had more time to get to know one another.

The problem was that Lance very much didn’t want to sleep with _anyone_  at _any time_  in front of a group of people. A group of people that are Keith’s _friends and family_  at that. He couldn’t even imagine going through with it. There was no way he could do it, even if they did get caught.

Keith frowned at him, a crease between his brows, “You’re right…”

The noirette slumped, twirling his spoon in his honey, “I’ll summon Shiro...he can probably help me talk them out of it. They tend to listen to him.”

“Okay.” Lance bit his lip, nodding his head nervously, “But...just in case...I should know what happens at one of those ceremonies so I’ll know how to get out…”

“I won’t let them take you.” Keith’s voice took on a hard edge, his grip tightening around his spoon. He deflated almost immediately though, letting out a long sigh before violet eyes met Lance’s blue, “But I’ll tell you.”

Lance had a terrible feeling he’d regret this.

“I’ve been to a few.” Keith twirled a spoon in his hand, “Lotor and Allura, they’re married, and they had their ceremony adjacent to their wedding. And my siblings had a few. And I had to go to an uncle’s…”

He was right, he was already regretting this.

Keith continued, his eyes flickering away from Lance, “There’s a giant bed of sorts, usually one made up of flowers, sometimes an actual bed, depends on the fae. My brother Kuron had fur pallets. What happens is they spend the entire morning preparing the bonding pair, feeding them special honeyed wine and berries, things that represent fertility. The guests usually hunt...not animals...lovers of their own...for the feast. There are rows of wine and the best foods, it’s a lot like a wedding but with more dancing, usually in the nude. No one has sex though, just a lot of touching and nudity. The bonding pair will be wearing thin silks that both hide them and show off their bodies, and is easy to rip off. Usually there will be flowers woven in the clothes and hair.”

Keith flushed _very_  red at this, his eyes flickering over Lance, “Once all well wishes have been given...the family will then pick them up and lift them to carry over to the bed, ripping off bits of clothes as they go. It’s considered good luck to catch them…”

The pale fae stared at his hands, “The honeyed wine they feed the pair is a special blend...it...makes they pair _very_...lusty and emotional. The ceremony doesn’t begin until the wine takes effect. I’m told it’s like being a happy drunk, that it’s euphoric. Once the family member has laid them down they take their seats and the...consummation begins.”

Lance dropped his spoon.

“T-That’s…” The witch didn’t know what to say, harbouring a blush of his own. Curse his damned cheeks! Oh god… so if they capture him, they’ll feed him foods to boost his sex drive and then put him in bare silken clothing. After that both he and Keith would be put in a bed and have their clothes taken off.

As a virgin, no, even if he wasn’t a virgin, Lance found this _terrifying_. Maybe in another dimension where he is born fae, he would actually enjoy this but his human self? Nope! Never! Huh… It made him wonder if he _would_  do something like that as a fae. If he was one, he was sure that he’d use his power to do all sorts of- _Ehem!_ That’s beside the point. He’s getting sidetracked by his thoughts.

Blue eyes moved over to Keith, noting the blush on his face. Keith admitted to actually _seeing_  a ceremony like this before, which made Lance blush even more. He could see that Keith doesn’t like the ceremony but why is he so against it? Isn’t it fae nature to want to conduct the ceremony? It’s in their culture so wouldn’t Keith be defying that?

He’s already defying a lot of things that made a fae, which confuses Lance even now. If Keith were a true fae, he’d ask much more of him than simple gifts. He doubts he would even be eating with him like this. Hmmm… it would make sense if Keith was half fae at least. But a pure blooded one? It was _super_  puzzling.

He’ll have to study Keith further on that but for now, he’ll focus on asking about the ceremony. Keith mentioned fertility but they’re both male, so how would that work? This will be beyond embarrassing to ask, but he couldn’t help his curiosity.

“You mentioned foods that make us more fertile.” Lance’s words made the fae flinch, trying to hold himself together, “But we’re both male. We can’t have offspring so I don’t think-” He paused when he noticed the face Keith was making. His face became even redder now, lips drawn into a straight line and eyes looking to the side.

Ohhh… There was a way…

“I take that back. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” Instead Lance took another spoonful of his stew, the warmness of it giving him some assurance. How did it even work? The only way Lance could think of it ever working was if Keith changed into a woman or something like that. There was no other way.

Oh god… What if they succeeded? Lance _definitely_  doesn’t want to become a father while he’s this young. He still has his own life to live! What would he do if he has to sit home and babysit? Would he have to protect himself with salt too? He loves children, don’t take him wrong, but everything had its own time and place.

“If they’re merciful, they can make you the bottom.” Keith, the poor thing, muttered.

Lance didn’t want to say anything but if worst comes to worst, he’d prefer that. If they do that, at least they won’t be pregnant, “Keith, I’m not trying to say it’ll happen, but if it does, please make me the bottom. I’m too young to be a father.”

The fae’s blush was _deep_.

“I’m not going to let them do that to us.” Keith stirred his plate of honey with a spoon, trying to hide his red face, “I’m not ready to be a father either. And I’m not going to let them make us do something we don't want to.”

Keith stood up abruptly, “I’ll call Shiro tonight, then we can talk to him and try to get out of this.”

“You could call him now.” Lance suggested, tapping his fingers against the table nervously, “It’d probably be best to end this as soon as possible.”

“No!” Keith’s eyes went wide, his knuckles whitening against the table as he pressed hard against the wood, “I love Shiro, but I’m not letting him near you yet.”

Lance raised an eyebrow at that, bewildered, “But you said he would help us.”

Keith stared at Lance for a bit, his pupils dilated a bit as the violet orbs roamed over him, quiet for a little longer than the witch thought he needed to be. The fae spoke after a few moments, voice low, “He will, but I don’t want him near you until he promises me that he won’t touch you. I don’t want him taking you.”

It was then that Lance remembered that, yeah, this was a fae standing in front of him. A fae with fae friends and fae family. This Shiro was fae as well, and would probably be a little more dangerous to him than Keith, who he’d bonded with over traumatic experiences and found favor with through promises of shared knowledge.

“Alright.” Lance relented, watching Keith ease up a bit, “I won’t go near Shiro if he’s dangerous.”

“He’s not dangerous.” Keith hastily stated, looking surprised, “I trust him more than any other family I have...it’s just...he’s very handsome and…” Keith shook his head, “...and I don’t want to lose you to him if you accidentally break rules. Or if he offers you something and you take it. He’s...he’ll take you…”

Keith trailed off then, eyes rolling upward before landing back on Lance. Something in his eyes flickered, and his face became more firm, determined, “No. No, you’re smarter than that. He won’t take you.”

The witch stared at him for a minute before slowly nodding his head, “I have more knowledge about the fae than most but you could write down more things for me to watch out for if you’d like.” He didn’t think Keith would actually do it but the fae seemed to like the idea.

“I’ll write down everything you need to know, and you _have_  to read it right after I write it. It’s the most important knowledge I’ll write in this book so you’ll _need_  to know it.” The fae stood up from his seat, snatching the book from its place and taking the quill along with him before seating himself back on the chair.

His attention was focused on the book, forgetting about his honey and milk that he had yet to finish. Lance was glad that he managed to eat all of the stew, since he made it himself, but he was surprised just how eager Keith was to write down the rules.

He felt a shiver at the thought of why it might be, blue eyes moving onto Keith. Huh… maybe he’d spoken too soon? Keith may have been a strange fae before, but now he seemed to be showing more of his fae nature. They’d gotten to know each other a lot more now, which made him think that Keith had grown fond of him just as much as Lance had become fond of his presence.

It felt nice to have Keith here. He gave him a fresh new perspective on things he didn’t even know could be seen in another way. Not to mention that Keith helped him save the village and better their lives. Besides, he also found the possessiveness seducing. Not that he was going to admit it!

Lance bit his lip, set on finishing his stew so that he could clean up both of their plates before Keith was done. The fae seemed to be busy so he took the chance to clean the mess they made, not daring to take the honey and milk away from Keith. He managed to clean everything else though, proud of his work as he looked over it.

He leaned his hands against his hips, sneaking a peek at what Keith was writing. He almost choked on his own spit when he saw how _long_  the list was. Keith had easily managed to fill out three pages already, going onto his fourth one.

Quiznak… he’ll have _a lot_  of things to read tonight.

“I think this is enough Keith.” The brunette tried as Keith finished the fourth page, littered with text, “I’m a witch. I already know most of these things.”

“One can never be too careful.” Keith muttered, too focused on writing to say much else, “I’m almost done anyway.”

But just how much was  _almost?_

Lance had a feeling it might still take a while, so instead, he decided to take the other book Keith filled out and started reading. He’d like to brush up on unicorns in particular, as well as that tree 'grandmother' thing. Since he’d met them, he was curious to know more.

“I’ll be up in my bed if you need me.” The witch let him know, receiving a simple nod in return. Red managed to jump up on the table then, mewing and brushing his head against Keith’s arm. The fae ignored him though, only moving his non-writing hand to pat him on the head.

Lance sighed, deciding to head up to the bed with Blue instead. He decided that he’d spend most of the day reading, indulging himself in new findings about the bogs and beasts that live within.

He made it to his room and took a peek over the edge, checking one last time on Keith, who was still hastily scribbling in the book, Red curled up next to him. Lance nodded to himself, satisfied with the knowledge that his new companion would be busy with his task for a while longer.

The brunette starts his nightly routine, stripping his day clothes, washing a bit, administering his creams and lotions, and finally slipping on his sleepwear before crawling into his bed and snuggling up on the pillows. Blue jumped up, taking her place at his side. He absentmindedly scratched her warm body, running his fingers through her soft fur. He flips open the thick tome, browsing through the pages until he found the section Keith had filled out.

He decides to read up on the unicorns first, forcing himself to face the uncomfortable tang of fear that jolted in his stomach. He stared at the drawings, the terribly beautiful creatures drawn with a professional hand, the very image of the ones who attacked him.

The witch gulps, reading over the information of the things he wishes he’d known before his trip through the bogs. They only appear before virgins, they take virginity before they devour the flesh, their horns absorb magic in the area and leave them immune to magical attacks while powering their own spells, they’re distracted by silver mirrors, black unicorns horns are poison while white unicorn horns cure any poison, only physical attacks can harm them and only after damaging the horn, acidic potions work best against them.

Any of these things, _any_  of them, would have helped him. He could have taken a bow, or a knife, or he would have run sooner when Keith spotted them…

Lance shakes his head, shame and fear rolling from him. No, no, they’re fine. They’re _fine_. Kosmo had saved them. Everything had worked out. They were safe. He’d probably never even _see_  another unicorn again.

He flips to the page about Keith’s grandmother, between the page about trolls and the page about Spriggans. The grandmother was, apparently, some sort of ancient ash that branched off from the very first tree, the Life Tree, and were called Weirwood. They were, apparently, the mothers of all the original fae.

“Hells.” Lance cursed, eyes going wide, slamming the book closed for a bit before turning on Blue, “She really _is_  his grandmother!”

The feline mewed in return, thinking she’d managed to gain Lance’s attention somehow. The witch ran his hand through her soft fur, earning a pleasant purr in return.

If the grandmother was the mother of all original fae, then that meant she was the grandmother of everyone else as well. How did that even work out? Wait, are Lotor and Keith really family members? Or related in any way? They don’t look alike, which made it even more likely that they weren’t related.

Keith admitted that he was the only child of his mother, but his mother’s sisters, the Morrigan, also counted as the same person. Which meant that no matter how many children they have, they’ll all be Keith’s siblings.

It was confusing.

It also meant that most fae families were probably large in number. Lance was thankful for that because it at least meant that Keith wasn’t alone most of the time. He told Lance about the cave but hopefully he had someone to be with after that.

 _Somebody_  must have come to visit him, right? This Shiro probably did. _Hopefully_  he did. Lance sighed, picking up the book to continue reading. He found a few interesting things on wraiths, vampires and ghouls before deciding to call it a day. He sat the book on his wooden bedside table, switching off the light that was there.

The darkness was calming, especially with the downstairs light still switched on. Lance didn’t even want to think about how many pages Keith managed to write so far. He was probably within the hundreds right now. The witch huffed, curling up on his blankets as his eyelids closed halfway.

Today had been a mess, just like the day before. However, he wouldn’t dare complain about it since he’d manage to uncover the truth about ear cutting within the village. He was grateful to have done everything he did today, although he had to go through unimaginable horrors to gain knowledge of what was happening.

It was better to look at the positives so Lance decided to do that. The village would be safer than ever, which was the most important thing he could have done. Although as he thought about all those things, the topic of the ceremony came up.

The fae are ruthless, absolutely ruthless when it comes to losing one’s virginity. Now it didn’t surprise him that Keith would be against losing his this entire time. Then again, he is a fae so he might view this differently. No matter what happens to the both of them in the future, he _can’t_  let himself become a father. That would crush him, and he’d never let the fae achieve this if that’s what they’re planning to do at the ceremony.

Ahhh… Thinking about all this is making him tired. He decides to close his eyes fully, letting the sounds around him slowly lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: I'm happy to say that we're doing good here on my end guys. I'm going to be getting back to writing my independent fics soon. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Thank you to all of you who comment. Even if I'm terrible at replying I read all of the comments.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	11. Chapter 11

Lance comes to slowly, in a cocoon of warmth. His body feels too tired to wake just yet, so he keeps his eyes shut and buries himself into the warmth. There’s a hum, a vibration that tickles against him, warm breathing against the side of his neck. He can feel Blue and Red curled at his side, against the back of his legs. He sighs, content, as warm hands scratch lightly over the small of his back…

Blue eyes snap open to meet a head of inky black hair. It takes less than a tick for him to realize that Keith snuck into his bed, and it takes just as much time before he’s screeching loudly and dislodging himself from Keith’s hold. Blue and Red both jump, bouncing up and hissing as Keith is also jerked awake, slinging them both up, arms still locked on the witch, and looking around before deciding that there were no threats here.

Lance does not stop screeching.

“I am very easily awoken.” Keith states, dropping his arms from around Lance and rubbing his eyes, “If this is some strange human waking ritual then it is one I do not like.”

Lance pulls power to his hands, pushing the pale fae from the bed with a short pulse. Keith’s eyes widen as he’s pushed off the bed, and Lance only realizes how  _stupid_  that was when the fae’s violet eyes turn to glare at him. The witch gulps and very, _very_ , quickly decides to move to distract him, “We need to have that lesson about personal space now!”

“You let me sleep here last time.” Keith pursed his lips, and it looked like he was _pouting_ , “I assumed that, since you’re letting me stay, I was allowed bed rights.”

Lance goes red, both from frustration and embarrassment. He ignores Keith’s look and decides to go about his lecture, “Lesson one! Always ask before you crawl into bed with someone!”

“That would be unbearably rude.” Keith sniffed, wrinkling his nose in disgust, “Especially if I woke you to do it. Speaking of lessons…” Keith reached over toward the floor, pulling up the tome he’d been working on last night and held it up for Lance to see, smiling proudly, “I wrote everything you need to know to be near my brother!”

Lance quirked a brow, curiously taking the book from Keith’s hands. The fae perked up as soon as his hands touched the book, anxiously watching the witch and waiting for him to read its contents. Lance flipped the pages open, eyes widening in horror when he noticed the sheer number of pages, “Keith! This is about… 30, no, 50 pages long! It’s littered with text!” There was little space between the lines! How did the fae manage to write  _this much?_

“I wanted to include all the details I could.” Keith took that as praise, standing tall and proud, “Now I’ll be sure my brother won’t do anything to you.  After you read this, then we can call Shiro.”

“This will take _days_  for me to read!” Oh god… He appreciated the work Keith had done, he really did, but this was a bit too…excessive. He thinks he knows most of the things he should know, so skimming through the book won’t take him as long, “I’ll skim through it.”

“No!” Keith said before he could think twice about it, “You have to read all of it thoroughly.”

“We don’t have that much time. We have ten days before Allura and Lotor come for us! We need time to prepare ourselves!” And by now, he was sure that they had nine days. Time flies incredibly quick. They can’t afford to waste it.

“No.” Stubbornly Keith denied, his brows furrowing, “I want you to read it all. I won’t let you meet Shiro otherwise.”

The witch felt the wave of possessiveness that made him shiver, cursing the inner part of himself for finding that super hot. Oh no… Nope! Their virginities were on the line. He had to resist. Blue eyes moved up to observe Keith’s own, fighting a silent battle of wills. Lance knew he would be the one to bend but he thinks he has the right weapon to deal with this.

Keith will play into his hands in promise of a warm hug.

“I have a proposal.” Lance folds his legs under him, facing the fae head on, “I’ll let you stay in bed with me so that we can continue cuddling, but in exchange, you can’t force me to read all of this. Skimming through it will be more than enough. I’ll pay extra attention to the things I don’t know about so you have nothing to worry about. I’d say it’s a good deal. You get cuddles _and_  you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that I read everything within the book.”

It seemed to work, if Keith biting his lip was anything to go by. The fae seemed troubled, crossing his arms in front of himself in thought. He was visibly conflicted, tempting Lance to hold in a chuckle. The fae had strange priorities… he’ll never understand them but it was amusing to watch.

“Alright.” Keith nodded eventually, “I agree.”

Lance’s lips curved in victory, “Perfect.” He raised his hands up teasingly, wide for Keith to jump into, “Come here Mullet. I’ll cuddle with you all you want now.”

Keith, newly satisfied, crawled right back into bed, aiming straight for the position he’d previously held only a few moments ago. There was definitely something about this fae that was starving for touch, he thinks, if the way he so eagerly threw his arms right back around the witch’s waist was any indication.

The brunette fought to make sure his arms were free. He found himself pinned back, Keith laid over him, arms locked around the waist and not moving anytime soon, face buried into the crook of the witch’s neck. Lance held up the book, finding himself reading from this position. It was a position he hadn't been in before, with someone practically purring against his chest while he tried to read.

It made it a little hard to focus.

The witch does manage to keep his promise to skim, picking up highlights he considered a wee bit more important than other things. There was a lot here, really enough to last him days, meticulously printed across the pages. He mutters as he reads, taking in the information as best he could, trying to let Keith know how far he’d gotten as he does.

His arms are numb by the time he considers himself well enough for possibly meeting Shiro, but still Keith doesn’t rise, even as Lance stops muttering and lets his arms fall. The fae still doesn’t seem any more inclined to let him up though, only continuing to lay draped over the witch’s body. Lance indulges him, for a moment, rubbing his hands over Keith’s back and humming in contentment, warmth spread through his body when the noirette purred.

“I’m as ready as I can be.” Lance promised, “We really should call your brother now.”

He knew Keith wouldn’t accept right away. Lance was going to have to convince the fae, try to remind him what was at stake and what took priority right now. He thinks he can manage though.

If he plays at Keith’s weaknesses, he thinks he’ll be able to do it. There is one thing he’ll be able to use against the fae, and it is the cuddling. There’s no way this… touch starved fae won’t appreciate a good cuddle, but it’ll come at a cost of him getting his brother.

Lance made his first move, continuing to scratch at Keith’s back, earning a few more pleasured hums in return. He decided to go in further, moving his right hand up to run it through Keith’s black hair. The fae practically _purred_  when he did, tightening his hold for a second before relaxing again.

It was working.

“It looks like you’re enjoying the cuddles.” Lance mused, earning a hum of both agreement and pleasure, “Although there’s one more thing you’ll enjoy doing, and that’s calling your brother to help us.” The humming ceased after those words but Keith remained contently draped over him, as if decided to ignore the issue.

“I want to lose my virginity in a special way.” Lance decided to say, gaining a tint of blush, especially in the position they were in, “I’ve almost lost it to a girl I met in the village but...well…things happened and we didn’t end up doing it. She was just a crush at the time, and we didn’t have the time to get to know each other more before she left with merchants one day.”

Lance felt Keith’s hold tighten, “When I lose my virginity one day, I want it to be with someone I _want_  to do it with. That’s why this is so important. I’m sure that you feel the same way, or at least I think you do.” He didn’t want to push it so he stopped there, continuing to run his hand through Keith’s hair and scratching at his back.

Keith grumbled even as he leaned further into Lance’s hand, allowing the witch better access to those spots the fae apparently especially enjoyed being touched. Lance thinks he has Keith when he stops scratching a bit and the fae grumpily blinks open his eyes, staring with just a glint of that possessiveness before he exhales a heavy sigh and pushes himself up, “I don’t want my family to force us into the ceremony either.”

The noirette pushes himself up like a grumpy cat, so obviously displeased by what he was about to do, or maybe by what Lance said? He doesn’t know, and it really doesn’t matter because now Keith is finally going to call his brother. The tanned witch grins, pushing himself up to follow his grumpy companion.

The pale fae doesn’t seem to need a ritual or some great magic for the call, he merely plucks a silvery whistle dangling from a sting beneath his clothing, holding it up to his lips before blowing. Lance doesn’t hear a sound, but Blue and Red jump. Keith drops the whistle, the delicate silver falling back beneath his clothes, before he turns to Lance with a grim frown, “Be prepared for a nuckelavee.”

Lance frowns, “I don’t know what tha-”

He finds out what a nuckelavee is in the worst possible way. The pounding of hooves sounds through his ears, and a horse gallops into his room, only stopping once it reached Keith.

It was a horrible beast; a skinless horse with the the torso made up of a equally skinless man fused to its back where the rider should be. It’s muscles were a mix of pinkish flesh and white marrow, the veins pulsing with black blood. The horrible creature breathed, and a plant on the end table wilted from its breath. The horrible thing stared at Keith with its multiple grey eyes, both from man and horse, and Lance’s heart stopped when the pale fae approached it.

“Hello brother.” The fae gave a weak smile, one laced in such fondness and love that it caught the witch off guard. Keith touched the horse’s head, cradling it, and touched their foreheads together, whispering softly, “I’ve missed you Shiro.”

Lance froze.

This thing was _terrifying_.

What stood in his house was practically a horse, or at least it would have been one if it weren’t for the upper body of a human that is sticking out of its back. The black veins that were visible under his skin were unsettling, reminding Lance of the black unicorn. He shivered, not daring to move close just yet.

It may be rude of him to keep his distance, but he’d be damned he wasn’t wary after everything he went through in the bogs. Keith said that he trusted this brother particularly but…ugh! Lance was torn between the fae’s horrendous appearance and Keith’s description of him.

“You look well little brother.” The fae spoke, “I’ve missed you too.” Lance watched as the horse licked at Keith’s face with its slimy tongue but surprisingly the black haired fae didn’t mind it.

Oh god… How was Keith not creeped out by this? How-Oh… Keith is a fae, right.

“I know I called you out of the blue Shiro but I have a bit of a situation. I don’t know if you heard but-”

“Pidge told me.” Shiro sighed, massaging his temples in a tired motion, “I would’ve found you sooner but Allura appeared before I could go search for you. She tried to invite me to your ceremony.”

Keith flinched, “I-I assume you accepted.”

The other fae nodded, “I did. I wouldn't miss it for the world but I had a feeling that you wouldn’t be privy of it. It’d be good if you can fill me in on what’s really happening.” Shiro turned, finally spotting Lance in the corner of the room, “You must be the witch Pidge told me about. The one who likes to ask questions.”

Lance swallowed a large lump in his throat, “T-That’s me. But I won’t be asking any questions sir, I already learned my lesson.”

When Shiro quirked  brow, Lance took it as a bad sign. Oh god… He _did not_  want to be on this guy’s bad side, “I-I mean! My name is Lance. It’s not my real name of course but that’s what others call me by. A pleasure to meet you!”

“As it is for you.” Shiro nodded, four eyes all roaming over the witch. He was being sized up, Lance realized with a sinking stomach. This was one of Keith's siblings, Keith's favorite probably, and that meant there was a chance Keith could very well be this guy’s favorite too.

Lance gulped.

“You look remarkably like a man I once drowned.” The creature said conversationally, almost friendly even. And if that wasn't the most horrific thing he'd ever heard than he didn't know what was.  The manish part of the creature smiled at him, with that skinless face.

“Shiro.” Keith glared at the man, voice heavy with warning, stepping between Lance and that smile, “Stop trying to scare him.”

“I just want to make sure your lover isn't rude.” Shiro laughed, the horse part of him flickering its ears with amusement. Lance didn't dare try to correct the creature. “Good humour would do you well.”

“Shiro, I don't want to have a ceremony.” Keith shook his head, frowning, hands circling around each other, “I am neither ready nor have either of us agreed to this. You can still help me convince them to stop this madness.”

Shiro abruptly stopped laughing, suddenly very serious. His eyes flickered over Keith, expression turning to what Lance guessed was worry. The horse stepped closer, and the man reached his too long humanoid arms out to brush Keith’s hair.

“You know I would do anything for you.” Shiro comforted the younger fae, expression still grim and worried, “But I think this is a good idea.”

Lance’s heart stopped, and Keith’s eyes went horrifically wide with shock, “Shiro! I don’t want to!”

“Allura told me that you were attacked by a unicorn.” Shiro stated, his voice taking an edge, “Two even. If they weren’t already dead…” He shook both heads, not daring to finish as he set his eyes on Keith, “This can’t keep happening, you need to shed your virginity and unlock your true power so you’ll be safe. I know you don’t like the idea, but putting it off is actively putting you in danger.”

Keith’s expression twisted, “Then let me lose it on my own! I’m not going to do this in front of _everyone I know_  when I’m not even ready.”

“We gave you that chance.”  Shiro shook his head, “But you’re taking too long, and this is getting more and more dangerous.  I don’t want to lose you.”

Keith sputtered, red and angry, “Then I’ll do this myself! I’ll find someone else and sit back and think for the realm or something, but don’t force me into this! And don’t force my vassals into this!”

“That could hurt you as well.” Shiro frowned, grip tightening against Keith’s hair, holding it hostage, “I won’t let you do that. The best I can offer you is more time to get used to the idea.”

“Shiro. Don’t do this.” Keith’s voice cracked, which was no small thing for a fae, “Don’t betray me, not you.”

“I am not.” The horse part of him pressed its forehead against Keith’s, “Unlike everyone else in the world, my only goal is to protect you.”

“You’re not protecting him if you think it’s okay for him to sleep with someone just so he can lose his virginity.” Lance spoke, hesitantly taking a step forward to touch Keith’s shoulder, “Keith should have the right to choose who and when he wants to do it. Nobody should force him into it.”

Shiro quirked a brow, the horse’s ears flickering and gently moving away from Keith’s face, “You don’t know about the things I’ve seen happen to him. Being a virgin is dangerous for a fae, and it is even more so for Keith who is already past the age when young fae lose theirs.”

Lance was scared, every cell in his body telling him to run and hide. But he didn’t want to do that because this was about Keith. The fae seemed upset and Lance couldn’t overlook that, even if he was terrified of Shiro, “K-Keith will get there. He’s just a late bloomer.”

“He’s had his time.” Shiro reasoned, “It’s too dangerous for you to stay like this any longer Keith.” The fae turned to his brother again, moving his hand along the black hair some more, “Losing one’s virginity doesn’t have to mean anything. It doesn’t have to be meaningful. I just… I don’t want to keep worrying about you. You’re putting yourself at risk needlessly and I can’t stand that. I care about your wellbeing.”

The pale fae’s lips were quivering, hands clenched by his sides. Lance didn’t know the full extent of their relationship, but from what he could tell by looking at Keith, the fae was both mad and frustrated that his beloved brother wouldn’t help his cause, “I need more time Shiro.” His voice broke at the end, “I shouldn’t be pushed into a ceremony without even agreeing to it.”

Something flickered in the creature’s eyes. He frowned softly, and for a moment Lance hoped that the older fae would give in, but he just spoke with what sounded like sympathy, “I’ll tell them to give you a few more days if you need it.”

“Shiro.” Keith hissed, shaking his head, arms coming up to clench at the horse’s face, “A few more days isn’t going to help. I don’t want to do this. It isn’t just the ceremony, I don’t care about that. I...Shiro I _can’t_. It’s like father Shiro. I’m like father.”

Shiro’s face twisted into something disturbed.

It took Lance a minute of solid confusion before he remembered, quite abruptly, that Keith is also Cú-Sith and thus the son of Anwen, _the death god_ , and very much a god of death himself. Or he would be, apparently, once he slept with someone. The young witch wasn’t entirely sure what that had to do with anything, but Shiro’s disturbed expression couldn’t mean it was anything good.

“No wonder...” The older fae’s eyes flickered towards Lance, his gaze slightly more resentful this time,  before flickering back towards his brother. Something in the older brother became resigned then, taking some of the fight out of him. It didn’t take much time before something dark flickered over him though, a deep possessiveness settling in the four grey eyes. His too long hands grabbed Keith’s shoulders, forcing the younger fae to look him in the eyes. Shiro’s voice was deep now, edged with something so protective that Lance thought the man would kill him just for being in the same _room_  for a moment, “I raised you Keith. More than your mother, more than your father.  You’re mine more than theirs. I won’t let that blood destroy you. All you need to do is give me a name Keith.”

Shiro’s eyes flickered and landed on him again, just for a moment, before landing back towards his brother, “Or don’t. Just tell me if what I think is true.”

Keith almost looked ashamed, and Lance had to physically keep himself from rushing to his companion’s side. He felt a wave of protectiveness of his own, because Keith had nothing to be ashamed of as far as he was concerned. He _almost_  stepped up, almost, but he knew better than to get between a fae and something they considered theirs.

“It is.” Keith’s voice was so full of shame that it broke Lance’s heart. The noirette hung his head low, and it was something that _shouldn’t_  happen with a powerful fae like this. Shiro’s jaw clenched, a horrific grinding sound coming from his teeth, the black blood rushing through his veins.

“It’s alright Keith.” Shiro cooed, but even then it felt like that possessiveness would take over, like he would grab Keith up and take him away any moment. Luckily he seemed to decide that wasn’t the action he wanted to take, instead choosing to drop his arms from Keith’s shoulders, his own slumping, “I’ll do what I can, give you the time I can, but I don’t know if I can stop the ceremony altogether.”

“You could try.” Keith’s voice sounded pained, and Lance really had to hold himself back here, “That’s the least I’ll ask of you.”

“I will.” Surprisingly the horse…fae thing seemed to loosen up a bit now, listening to Keith’s pleas, “I’ll do whatever I can.” His words put a small smile on Keith’s face, at least a little assured with the knowledge that his older brother would help his cause.

Fae were so strange but Lance already gave up on trying to understand them. Instead he’ll just roll with it. Although he was curious as to what the two of them were talking about. He lost them halfway into the conversation about Keith’s father. Maybe he’ll ask Keith about it later? He could try.

“I’ll be on my way then.” Shiro ran his hand through Keith’s soft hair once again, careful not to pull on the scalp, “I think the ceremony is a good idea but I’ll try to see what I can do. The best all of us could do is give you more time.” A frown appeared on Shiro’s face for a second, “Sven will be disappointed. He told us that he’d be the one to get you and your lover for the ceremony.”

Keith was visibly shaken, resting his right hand against his forehead in frustration, “I imagined he’d be like that.”

“That’s how he is.” The other fae grumbled, “I’m sure that his heart is in the right place.”

“He’s enthusiastic.” Keith nodded, frowning, “ _Too_  enthusiastic. I don't want him near Dreadwarren. Or Lance. In fact, never let him meet Lance.”

Shiro shook his heads, tongue clicking, “I’ll do what I can to reign him in, but you know how the family is, brother, they may not be so understanding of your...condition.”

“I know.” Keith bowed his head in shame again, and Lance found his patience growing thinner and thinner. He didn’t like this, seeing Keith, a fae creature, feeling ashamed of anything. It just wasn’t right, it didn’t look right on him, it didn’t _feel_  right. And Lance had to hold himself back from vowing to fight Keith’s family.

“I’ll...speak with your father…” Shiro’s ears flickered at that, “He may be able to advise you. Brother, you should have told us sooner, we could have done something about this much earlier.”

“I am ashamed.” Keith admitted, his face twisting, “I am unnatural.”

Shiro didn’t speak up to reassure Keith. The older fae merilly squeezed the boy’s shoulder, but Lance couldn’t tell if that was, itself, supposed to be reassuring or pitying. He didn’t like this, he didn’t like this at all, and he was going to get to the bottom of it once the older fae left.

“I’ll do what I can.” Shiro spoke, turning his body to clop towards the stairway, “But I make no promises.”

“That you try warms my heart.” Keith smiled, but the expression is still hard to look at. He raises his hand, waving off his brother, “I’ve chosen to go by Keith now.”

“A fine name.” The elder replies, sending one last look towards his brother, “I’ll be sure to tell you if something changes. Hide here until I return. Place wards up and coat the house if you must.”

“I will.” Keith nods, “With iron if I have to. Fair thee well brother. Until we meet again.”

“With hopes, soon.” The elder replies, and just like that he’s gone. Gone in a blink and a quick mist, leaving the two of them alone. Keith’s smile dropped, and he hung his head in shame again, deflating now that his brother was gone. He looked back at the witch, grimacing, “At least he was too distracted to speak to you much.”

Lance bit his lip, taking steps forward now that Shiro was gone. He didn’t hesitate to throw his arms around the fae, taking him by surprise, “That doesn’t matter. I’ll admit, your brother was scary but that’s not what I’m worried about.” Lance squeezed gently, feeling Keith’s arms wrap around him in return.

“I thought you’re supposed to ask before hugging or cuddling.” The fae sounded confused, but Lance could see that he appreciated the hug.

“It’s a surprise hug.” The witch supplied, “You weren’t wrong in your observations when you said we have them.”

Keith’s eyes widened at that, stunned by his discovery, “I knew it.”

“Yep! We love to hug someone when we want to surprise them, tease, or just reassure them. There are a lot of reasons but for me, I wanted to…” He blushed, hiding his face in the crook of Keith’s neck, “Just making sure you’re okay.”

He felt Keith deflate, slumping himself against Lance’s body and holding onto him tighter. He buried his nose in the crook of his neck as well, taking deep inhales which made the witch blush even more, “I’m fine now that you’re hugging me. My brother won’t help us as much as we thought he would, but he’ll still try to do whatever he can.”

It wasn’t assuring, and it scared Lance all the more. Keith’s entire family seemed excited for the ceremony, and where there’s excitement, there’s also stubbornness. He bets the rest of the fae will try to convince Shiro further that it’s for Keith’s own good. Virginity, as Lance learned, was dangerous. Being a virgin meant that you were a target for a lot of nasty creatures that lived out there in the bogs. At least Lance could understand why the family would want Keith to lose it.

“You’re a weird fae Keith.” Lance admitted, holding onto the other tightly, “Many of the things you do go against what I know about fae. I’m guessing your brother was saying something along those lines as well, but I’m not sure because I lost you about halfway into your conversation.” He raised his hand up to touch Keith’s soft black hair, “B-But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I actually like you the way you are.” Weird, strange and just Keith like.

“I’m unnatural.” Keith admitted, curling against Lance, fingers digging into the witch’s back, “Not an abomination, but...queer. Strange. Shameful.”

“No you’re not.” Lance reassured softly, fingers brushing through inky black locks. It was intimate, very intimate, and Lance really shouldn’t be this close with someone he’d only met a few days ago. But this was _Keith_. And somehow Keith had become so important to him. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little different than normal Keith.”

“There is.” Keith smiled against him, a low and sad thing, “But your words are kind. I’ll hold them in my heart.”

Lance figured that was the roundabout fae way of saying thanks, so he pulls Keith even closer, resting his chin on the fae’s head, “It doesn’t matter if you believe me. I still like you the way you are.”

“You’re too kind.” Keith spoke against him, nuzzling against Lance’s neck, “We don’t do too much hugging in my family. What you saw with Shiro is as much as I get from anyone outside my father, whom is just as strange as me.”

“No wonder you always want hugs then.” Lance answered, “It’s okay, I’ll hug you whenever.”

“You should ward the house.” Keith smiles, “Grab red berries to hang over the window, line the house with salt, get iron plating.”

“That would hurt you...or trap you in here.” Lance frowned at that, hand stopping its brushing for a moment.

“But it will also keep any of my other brothers out until we get word from Shiro.” Keith reasoned, pulling back enough to look Lance in the eye, “And...if worst comes to worst we can hide here. Mayhaps we could even flee to my realm for a while...if worst comes to worst.”

“I wouldn’t be able to eat there.” Lance replies with a frown.

Keith pauses, seemingly having forgotten that Lance probably wouldn’t want to be trapped in his realm forever, before speaking again, “Then...I suppose we’ll be staying here until my family gives up.”

“That sounds like a plan.” But Lance still didn’t like the idea of trapping Keith within his house. He was sure that he wouldn’t like it if he was fae either. He won’t do it, at least not now when they still had about eight days until the ceremony. He wants Keith to go out whenever he wants.

“Come.” He reached to take Keith’s hand, the fae blinking as the hug broke and Lance dragged him to the kitchen. Tanned hand let go of him when they were there, ruffling through his cabinets until he found a jar of honey, “I think you can use something sweet after that. I made you call him, which I admit, might not have been the best idea.”

Keith’s eyes lit up as soon as he spotted the honey, seating himself on a chair to eat it, “Shiro will help us, at least a little. It wasn’t a waste to call him.” Keith’s smile was warm as he looked up at him, opening the lid of the jar to munch on his honey, “But you should still ward the house.”

“I don’t know.” The witch sat himself down as well, a bowl of leftover stew in his hands, eyes on Keith, “I don’t want to trap you here. That’s not what friends do.”

Keith blinked up at him, silent for a minute, seemingly thinking over Lance’s words, “You wouldn’t be trapping me if I suggested it. I’d stay here willingly.”

“But I still don’t like it.” Lance just didn’t like it and couldn’t see himself doing it, “I could scatter salt all around the house but if I do that, then I’d like to do it two days before the ceremony. That way you wouldn’t be stuck here more than you should be.”

“A lot can happen before those two days.” Keith noted, “It’d be safer if you scattered it now.”

Lance bit his lip, “I don’t want to. Besides, I have you by my side. I trust you to protect me when the time comes. Not that I’m a maiden in distress either. I have my magic to defend myself as well, the both of us. We’ll manage, we’re a team after all.”

Keith blinked at him, flinching back in shock. Then his face went soft, the softest Lance had seen it, softer than he’d ever seen the features, and the pale fae practically melted in his seat, hands loosely wrapped around the jar. “Yes, we’re a team.”

This guy was so clearly starved for companionship that even a simple comment like that was enough to make him soft. What was wrong with Keith’s family that he was this affection starved? He’d never understand fae, especially not Keith’s family who were all at once loving and so clearly neglectful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: I'm begining to think my childhood stories weren't normal. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Google "nuckelavee" to see how terrifying Shiro looks XD
> 
> All credit goes to [nabaris](https://nabaris.tumblr.com/) for the art. You can find her original post on Tumblr [here](https://nabaris.tumblr.com/post/180361540502/another-one-for-the-bog-witch-i-said-i-was-in). Thank you so much for this beautiful peace! We're forever thankful.
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	12. Chapter 12

Keith's family didn’t matter. He and Keith were a team now and they’d help each other. Between the two of them and what little help Shiro offered, then no one was gonna make them go through any stupid public sex ceremony. He’d protect Keith no matter what, and give him all the hugs he wanted, because Keith so clearly deserved better, “We’ll figure something out, don’t worry. They’ll give up eventually.”

Keith frowned just the smallest bit, “They might not.”

“Hey, don’t be like that.” Lance twirled his spoon in his stew, smiling at Keith with all the reassurance he had, “We _will_  figure something out. Nothing's happening to you Keith, not if I can help it.”

“I’m far more worried about you than I.” Keith admitted, sucking in his bottom lip, “I can lay back and think of something else until it’s over if I have to, but I don’t want them dragging you into this. You don’t want this.”

“Neither of us wants this.” Lance ate another spoonful of stew, “But that’s why we’ll have to prepare ourselves to face your family.”

“We’re at a disadvantage here. There is a group of them but there are only two of us. Shiro could join us but he expressed his view on the ceremony to be beneficial to me so I’m not sure where he would stand.” The fae sighed, munching on his honey in delight. But even through the honey was sweet, it didn’t help his worry about their situation.

“Then…” Lance thought of the possible things they could do, “We could gather more of your friends. They could help us.”

Keith shrugged at that, not finding the idea entrancing, “We can never fully trust any of them. For all we know, they may be tricking us into mischief. Pidge might help but...” Violet eyes remained on Lance, unsure how he would feel about meeting Pidge again. She’d broken his hand before, dared to do such a thing to his human.

As he thought about the idea more and more, Keith was against gathering any kind of allies. If other fae came, then they’d get too close to Lance. He didn’t like the thought of that, “We’re not asking for anyone’s help.” The fae concluded, “They’ll do us more harm than good.”

“It’ll make it harder for us to defend ourselves Keith.” Lance’s blue eyes met Keith’s own with a tint of worry within them, “If it’ll help…then I wouldn’t mind meeting Pidge again.”

“No.” But Keith shook his head, “We don’t need anyone. Trust me.” The fae left it at that, taking another spoonful of his beloved honey. Now they were back to square one. Shiro was the only real help they had but even that didn’t do much to better their situation. All odds were against them with time ticking by quickly. Lance was worried, he wasn’t going to lie, but a part of him believed that they really could manage somehow.

Wait… Keith suggested that they stay in his realm until the ceremony was over… Lance might not want to remain there for long because he wouldn’t be able to eat but maybe…maybe Keith could show him his realm? It would be a good idea if they decide to escape into it when Keith’s family comes for them. Then Lance would already be familiar with the place.

It sounded like a solid plan, “Keith.” He spoke to get the other’s attention, “I’d like for you to show me your realm.”

Violet eyes snapped to meet blue, the fae’s irises blowing wide at the suggestion. Something dark dulled over them for a moment, those orbs staring at him a long time, studying him. Lance shivered at the look, and it was only when light returned to Keith’s eyes and he removed the spoon from his mouth that he spoke, “That may not be a good idea.”

“We don’t have allies and I can’t lock you in here forever.” Lance reasoned, chiding softly, “If we can’t fight them then we might have to flee there.”

Keith’s eyes flickered with that dark look again, “I’ll become...very protective...of you.”

Lance didn’t tell him that he already was. He shivered thinking about it, about that dark look that was starting to develop in Keith’s eyes. It was...it felt good. It shouldn’t, he should be horrified by it. Fae were infamous for their possessiveness and it was never a good thing, but a part of him couldn’t help but be attracted to it, especially since it was obvious Keith was trying so hard not to let it show.

“That’s probably for the best.” The witch states, “You’re their king, if you’re protective of me then the other fae won’t touch me.”

“...Yes...they wouldn’t _dare_  touch you.” Keith nodded absentmindedly, holding the spoon loosely near his lips, eyes still staring, “However, you wouldn’t be able to eat without enthralling yourself to me.”

Lance shivered. This...this was probably a bad idea, but it would be an ultimate show of trust. If Keith could reign in his nature while they were in his realm than that meant not only was it a safe place they could hide and wait out the ceremony, but also that he was  _even better_  than the witch had hoped. And if Keith could hold back after a few days than Lance would be fine.

“I’ll take that risk.” Lance stated.

“I’ll try to make you eat.” Keith warned, “I’ll be persistent. It might seem out of care, and it may well be, but it could also be part of my nature.”

“I won’t give in.” Lance nodded confidently, “We’ll only be there for a bit. I trust you to not try and trap me, and I trust myself not to eat.”

The fae’s irises blew wide again, staring into blue with darkened eyes. Lance felt himself fidget in his seat, aware that he had Keith’s full attention. There was a wave of fright that passed through him but at the same time he was aroused as well. Both feelings were contradicting, leaving Lance somewhere in the middle. A normal human being wouldn’t ever find this attractive and yet here he was, captured by Keith’s gaze and unwilling to move away.

He loved the way those eyes darkened every time his possessiveness washed over. It reminded him of the night sky washing over the sunset and taking over. The purple of Keith’s eyes was a beautiful colour but when overtaken by the blackness of his irises it made it look like the last moments of a sunset.

He easily gets lost within those eyes, dark and yet beautiful as well.

“Then I’ll take you to my realm.” Keith’s lips curved a bit as he ate his honey, as if satisfied by the decision they made. It would be a mistake to think that was everything Keith thought about though. Lance believed that the fae would resist. Keith is a strange fae, unique in his own way. If he was unlike any other fae, then Lance was confident that he’d be able to resist this as well.

“We can go after breakfast. I’ll need to get ready.” Lance ate the last of his stew, putting the dirty dishes into the sink before going over to prepare the things he’ll need. Healing potions and magic amplifying potions would be two of the things he’ll have to take. He made sure to have those before getting the other things he needs.

It didn’t take him long to get ready, about five minutes tops before he was all done and prepared. He sighed as he swung his old satchel over his shoulder, letting the leather strap rest loosely against his chest, “I’m ready.” He let Keith know, the fae having already finished his honey and leaving the jar crisp clean.

“Perfect. We should go then.” Keith pushed himself off the table he was leaning against to walk out of Lance’s house. They found themselves staring into the bog, memories of the horrors within returning to Lance’s mind.

“Don’t tell me your mushroom ring is somewhere in the bogs.” Oh no… He really hoped it wasn’t.

Keith’s silence said it all though. Dread pooled in Lance’s gut as the fae finally spoke, “I didn’t want my vassals wandering into it.”

“No.” The witch groaned in despair, fear blooming in his chest, “I don’t want to go back into the bogs.”

“It’s not too far.” Keith reassured gently, holding out a hand to take Lance’s wrist, “It’s just a little way off the path, you could even see the trail from it. I’ll lead you there.”

It didn’t make him feel any better, and when Keith lead him out the door and towards the fog this time the witch felt a lot more fear and hesitation, triple the dread filling him. He wouldn’t forget, he would never forget what was in these bogs.

They’d barely taken a step inside before the wraiths started crying, trying to lure them closer, bodies floating as close as they could with distorted limbs. None dared come near Keith though, and Lance knew he could take on a good few himself, but he still found himself slinking closer towards the fae, practically pressing his body against the other as he was lead through the mist.

Keith was right, his mushroom ring wasn’t far off the path at all, and it was a very short walk to get there. Still, Lance wasn’t comfortable at all, not with the sobbing all around him, followed by the screams. Keith settled a hand on him through, violet eyes checking him over once before gently nudging him into the ring.

And suddenly Lance was nowhere near the bogs.

Blue eyes blinked, bewildered, as the sights changed in a moment, not even a hint of what happened left for the young witch to guess. He found himself in a throne room of a sort, or he guessed so from the way everything looked so...so...throne like.

It was a large room, carved into stone, with stone benches circling about. Above all stood a throne carved straight into the mountain, morbid displays of faced trees with strange symbols worked into it, bright lights twinkling from those stars. Behind it molten red rock flowed, melted, down either side, creating a circle around the room and filling it with a red warmth. Around this trail, all along the walls and ceiling, were strange red-glowing plants Lance had never seen before. Kosmo curled around the throne, perking when he saw the young witch and thumping his tail against the floor.

In the center of the room, carved into the floor, was what looked like a door. A quick look at the pillaring windows showed that, yes, this throne room _is_  carved into the side of a mountain. And from the mountains that could be seen in the distances most were made with fires at the top.

All around him there were fae, their eyes whipping on him the moment he appeared. Each looking hungry from the moment they saw him, eyes set possessively on him, and unlike Keith it wasn’t an arousing sight at all.

Lance shivered, hugging himself protectively as he looked around at the hungry eyes. They were all looking at _him_  and for a moment, Lance felt like he was a lamb placed in a wolf’s cage. It was terrifying, and he honestly thought he was going to die. When some of the fae stood up from their seats, he thought that would be the case. However, when a loud growl came from his side he jumped, only to feel a firm hand on his shoulder, pulling him towards the other firmly.

Blue eyes looked up to see Keith’s furious face, and unlike anything else he’d seen on Keith, this was the most ferocious expression he’d ever witnessed on him. It made a cold chill run down his entire body, scared and yet feeling safe now that Keith was here.

“Stand down, your king has returned.” Keith’s voice was amplified by the heated rocks, surprising Lance just by how authoritative it was. It almost felt like this Keith was a different one altogether.

“Sire.” The fae surrounding them bowed to their king, showing their respect. Yet at the same time some of them looked up, the same dark look within their eyes as they’d greeted Lance with, “We’ve been awaiting your return.”

“I’m sure you were.” The king’s eyes roamed over his slaves, their souls bound to him for all eternity, “I hope you’ve been taking good care of my realm while I was away.”

“We did Sire.” Another lower fae spoke up, this one bearing avian wings on his back, but with some tears in his feathers. Lance could see some red spots on his wings, showing red skin underneath. Looking at those wound like spots, it made Lance think that someone might have torn those feathers out of his wings, creating these painful areas as proof of that, “We did everything as told.”

“Good.” Keith nodded, noting Kosmo’s wagging tail. Being back in his own realm felt like coming home, a world built just for himself. His violet eyes turned over to Lance who was still looking around his surroundings in utter amazement. He trailed his hands down, holding his hand and squeezing, “I’ve brought a guest along with me. Prepare a meal for him.”

Alarm bells sounded as soon as the word _meal_  left Keith’s lips, “I’m not hungry! W-We just ate so I’m fine.” Lance assured, squeezing Keith’s hand back, “You agreed to showing me around so we should go ahead and do that.” Blue eyes roamed over the mountain and the fire before landing on the door in the floor, “I’d like to know what’s in here and if this is your throne. I wonder if the sky is a silvery colour because you will it to be. It’s hard to believe you made all this… It’s like a whole new planet! Wow…” It was stunning. He’d never seen anything more amazing in his entire life.

His friend’s eyes shined with pure pride, a pleased grin spreading across his lips. Keith tugged his hand, pulling him along while all his servants watched, “I’m glad you think so, I made it when I first ventured out into the world on my own.”

Lance allowed himself to be pulled toward the silver door in the floor, stopping at the edge, carefully reaching his free hand out to press against Lance’s chest, keeping the witch from moving further. He turned towards one of the fae present, grinning like he was about to show Lance a treat, “Open the doors!”

The fae nodded silently, reaching out its clawed hand to place against a circular orb of sorts. When he touched it the doors made a sound, lighting softly for a moment before moving circularly and opening. Lance found his eyes widening again when he saw what lay beyond. It was a straight drop, so far that the red leaf trees at the bottom looked like grains of sand. He could see the rocks from the side of the mountain, strange creatures and small dragons littering them, building their nests. They looked up when the doors opened, their eyes eagerly watching them.

“Keith…” Lance breathed, turning towards his friend with wide eyes.

“I’m glad you like it.” Keith grinned, leaning in, his face a mere inch away from Lance’s own, “This is the Dragon Door.”

“Dragon Door…” Lance repeated dumbly.

Keith nodded, “I adore dragons. When my brothers come to visit I like to throw them out the door and let the dragons chase them.” Keith paused, bottom lip pouting, “None have been eaten yet. But then again, I haven’t wanted them to die yet.”

It was such a Keith thing to say, but it was also such a fae thing to say as well. Even still, Lance couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that Keith made a hobby of raising dragons. The fae king, giddy, pulled Lance away, leading him towards the throne, “It’s best when you’re seated on the throne.”

Lance found himself pulled along as Keith sat himself on the throne, pulling the brunette down with him, wrapping his arms around him. Lance looked, and Keith wasn’t wrong at all. Now they stood taller than everyone, towering the room, and Lance could see the patterns made in the room, the molten rock and glowing plants circled towards the two doors in the room to make a giant rune. It was one he recognized, a warding spell, meant for protection.

“Keith…” Lance breathed, watching the sight, taking in the deliberate show of the fiery rock from the distance, “Keith, this is amazing.”

“That door is the only way off the mountain.” Keith whispered in his ear, hand reaching for Lance’s, “Unless you want to climb _very_  narrow steps carved into the side. I built this castle for defense, and the land is filled with forest and rivers shaped to protect me. I’m the only virgin king, after all.”

Keith nuzzled him, “You should try the spiced wine Lance. I grow spices here you’ve never tasted before. You would love it.”

“You know I can’t.” Lance reminded gently.

The noirette pouted, seemingly only just reminded that this was a _short_  visit, “Some jewellery then. You’d look so beautiful in rubies. I have plenty of those, rubies and diamonds, they litter the mines. You would be...be…” Keith shook his head, “Later...later…”

Rubies? Diamonds? A massive blush spread across Lance’s cheeks, using his free hand to cover as much of his face as he could. That was a blow he didn’t expect and it certainly took him by surprise. He’d never received something as fancy as diamonds before and he doubts he ever will. And what else was Keith about to say before he stopped himself? Maybe it was a good thing he didn’t say it because Lance was sure that he would be an even bigger mess than he’s right now.

“T-That’s generous of you Keith.” He tried, careful not to thank the king of this realm, “B-But instead of me, I bet they’d suit you better.”

The fae quirked his brow before a wide smile spread across his face, he snuggled himself closer to the witch, practically breathing down his neck, “I already have a ruby on my crown, right in the middle between the leaves.” Lance tried to look back but he didn’t have much room to move, “It has the potential to serve for more purposes than appearance alone.”

The witch wasn’t sure what Keith meant by that but he didn’t know if he wanted to find out. He is aware that fae are able to seal…things…within many different items. Perhaps that’s what Keith meant by this? He thinks it’s most likely the case.

“Speaking of appearances.” Lance looked out into the distance, fully aware just how close he was to Keith right now. The position didn’t help his traitorous blush calm down, and neither did the feeling of Keith’s legs under him. He blames it all for being a newbie in the “deep” dating department. He dated before, but he’d never been…in a position like this before. It did things to his poor heart, “I take it that you like mountains and fire.” The place had a lot of those, or at least it was only the area they were currently in?

“Those dragons are beautiful too. Your world is beautiful Keith.” It was so stunning that he couldn’t take his eyes away. It was a world of difference from the bog. Then again, the only other thing that managed to get his attention was Keith. The fae was glued onto him, reminding Lance of his hugs, only this one seemed a bit different. It was firmer and stronger, yet it gave him a powerful feeling of safety he never felt before. It felt…nice.

Lance tilted his head to the side so that he could look at Keith, their eyes meeting, “This’ll be a perfect hideout for us if we decide to hide from your family. Plus, it’s beautiful so there’s no way I wouldn’t love it.”

He managed to turn his body sideways, allowing him to face Keith better, “I’d like to see what else you have here. As a witch, I’m curious to know all I can about the fae. I saw your fae servants but I wonder if you have any humans running around as well.” He doubts Keith wouldn’t have some, “We could fly on one of your dragons.” He suggested excitedly, holding in his excitement, “That way I’d see more of your realm.”

“Hmmm…” Keith’s eyes glazed over, dark again, “If it will make you happy.”

Lance could have jumped, would have if Keith didn’t have a deadlock grip on him. He tugged trying to get the king to move, rousing the fae from his tight hold and and causing him to stand up. Keith didn’t unlock their hands though, keeping them connected even as he used his free hand to give a sharp whistle.

There was small silence that followed the sound, then a few furious roars that all seemed to try and out class each other. A red scaled dragon, about as tall as a horse and wide as three, crawled through the door. It moved on all fours, its red scales glittering beneath the light.

It was easily the smallest dragon ever. It had to be an adolescent, adults were _much_  larger than this. There was no way it could be anywhere near that age. That was brilliant! He couldn’t believe it! Keith had an adolescent dragon trained! Their parents were so possessive that it was nearly impossible to get to one.

“Come.” Keith pulled him along, “We’ll ride her.”

Lance sucked in a breath, holding back barely contained excitement. He was going to see Keith’s realm, while riding on the back of an adolescent dragon. This was a dream come true for many scholarly witches. Veronica and Rachel would be so jealous if they ever found out about this.

The dragon seemed to be docile around Keith and only Keith, snapping at any other fae that strayed too close. Lance probably wasn’t eaten by virtue of the fact Keith was the one leading him towards the beast. The tanned boy eagerly crawled onto the scale back as soon as he was close enough, not even waiting for Keith. The noirette watched him climb on, waiting for the burnette to settle himself before he mounted the beast himself, settling just in front.

“Hold on to me.” Keith commanded, taking Lance’s hands and twisting them around his waist, “This is going to be windy.”

The witch secured his arms around Keith’s waist, holding so tight that he was worried he would choke the fae out of air. That didn’t seem to be the case, thankfully, and Keith let him hold onto him as tightly as he liked. Lance felt his heartbeat speed up when the young dragon walked over to the edge, preparing to jump and take flight.

Lance held in a breath, their surroundings quiet as they stood on the edge.

Then the dragon jumped, causing Lance to shriek. He held onto Keith tightly, unable to see the amused smile on the king’s face. However, when the dragon extended its wings and began gliding through the air, Lance allowed himself to look at his surroundings, a massive smile spreading across his face.

They were flying! They were up in the air!

The brunette grinned as he looked down at the rocks, spotting a massive forest he didn’t get to see before. There was a lake as well, curving in ways he didn’t think was possible. The sky was an ash grey but the air that washed over them was as fresh as those of the coldest mountains.

“Woohoo!!! Keith! We’re flying! We’re really  _flying!”_ He couldn’t hold himself back, smiling widely without even knowing about it. He felt the need to stretch his arms out, and he tried it with one hand but quickly placed it back around Keith’s waist, worried that he might fall if he did.

“Haha! Woohoo!!!!” He laughed, eyes looking around them as they flew. The dragon dived down, flying over the trees with amazing speed. Then the river appeared under them as the creature flew over it. The dragon leaned to the left, allowing for the edge of its wing to touch the water and spray it over them playfully.

Then it flew up, spinning in the air before straightening and gliding again, “Woohoo!!!” Lance yelled again, squeezing his arms around the fae in front of him, “This is amazing! It’s unreal!” Never did he think that he’d ever get to fly like this. It was a dream many humans had and yet here he was, gliding through the sky. It felt otherworldly, as if he’d ascended up to the heavens. He could never get tired of this, _ever_.

The fae king doesn’t say anything, busy coaxing the dragon to go where he wanted, which right now was just over the sea of red leaf trees. The dragon complied easily, swerving so close that Lance could have reached out to grab the foliage if he’d wanted.

They broke through what looked like a swarm of butterflies but turned out to be small creatures with wings like butterflies. Another winged creature with sharp feathers stood perched on one tree. There were so many different creatures that he couldn’t even hope to identify them all with how fast they were flying by.

“I still can’t believe you’re king of all this.” Lance tried to call out over the rushing wind, but he isn’t sure if Keith heard him. His companion coaxed the dragon back towards the mountain they’d originally taken off from. He could see the castle carved into the side, lights shining brilliantly from the windows. It was like a beacon among the other mountains.

Keith must have decided that they’d had enough for now and coaxed the dragon back toward the castle, swerving them upward and past a multitude of caves where other dragons had made their home. The adolescent they road is agile, swerving around the rock formations with experience and professional manoeuvring, ending when it flung itself right back through the doors to Keith’s throne room.

The dragon landed right in the same spot where they left from, resting his body so that her two riders could get off. Lance’s hair was a mess, thanks to the wind, but as he looked in front of him, he noticed that Keith’s mullet was still intact. It was strange for it to remain the same after all that wind but Lance didn’t have the time to think about it too much.

The witch slid off the beast excitedly, following Keith as he got down as well, “Oh my god! We just _flew_  Keith! We were _flying!”_ He let the excitement take over, grabbing Keith’s shoulders and shaking, “I can’t believe you tamed such a young dragon! I wonder how you taught it all those things! Wow! You went _phew!_ And then  _phaww_  to the right! It was amazing!”

Lance let go of the fae in favour of embracing the other tightly. Keith blinked for a moment there, confused by the strange words Lance used, “I’m so grateful. You have no idea how amazing all of this is.” He squeezed Keith tighter, a smile on his face, “And I can’t believe you’re the king of all this! It’s just…so…so…surreal.”

Keith’s lips curved in satisfaction, placing his own arms around the brunette to return the hug, “I’m glad you liked it Lance but there are a lot of things I still want to show you.”

Lance raised a brow at that, leaning away so that he could look at Keith’s face, “I doubt anything will be more amazing than this.” The witch teased, “This is easily one of the best things that happened to me in my entire life. It was just… Buwah!”

Keith blinked again, intending to ask Lance what all these strange words were before the brunette cut him again, “Oh! I thought of something!” Lance reached into his satchel, looking for a specific potion within, “Shiro and your grandmother mentioned something about you not being a real fae yet because you’re not powerful enough. I’m guessing you gain that power when you lose your virginity but I thought I’d give you this before you do.” He held up a magic amplifying potion for Keith to see.

Lance was unsure if this would work, or if Keith would accept it, but he doesn’t see a reason as to why he wouldn’t. He can’t accept food in Keith’s realm but he was sure that it would be fine if he was the one giving the gifts, “This is for you, a free gift from a friend. It should make you more powerful, in theory. I’m not sure how it works on fae but I think that the effects should be the same.”

Soft violet eyes landed on the blue bottle, face blank, like he didn’t quite know what to think. He held his hand up, pushing Lance’s hand away, “That’s such a fine gift. It could do much to help you as well.”

“I insist.” Lance pushed the bottle into Keith’s hands, smiling as he folded the two pale limbs around the bottle, holding them between his own two hands. He met Keith eyes, making sure he could see the smile on his own face, “What you’ve just given me is...is...worth so much more than this. I’m not kidding when I say that was one of the most amazing moments in my life. If this could help you, even just a little, then it was more than worth it.”

Keith’s pupils dilated, blowing wide as he stared at their interlocked hands. His lips thinned, going near white from the pressure.  His eyes flickered back upward, “It will help...but nothing will help as much as…” Keith paused, licking his lips here, “...still...this is a fine gift Lance. One of the finest I could wish for.”

The witch’s heart thudded against his chest, “I’m glad you like it.”

It didn’t escape him that their hands were still locked together, both wrapped around that bottle. Lance coughed, removing them, but Keith’s still hung in place. Those pupils were still blown wide, locked onto the tanned witch. The brunette frowned, concerned, “Keith, you’re staring.”

“Forgive me.” The fae shook out of his trace, “I was overwhelmed by your pretty gift. I should reward you with something fine…”

“Bring sweet tarts to my chambers.” Keith turned to one of the many gathered in the room, calling out his order before turning back towards the witch, “Follow me, I’ll show you to my rooms.”

“That’s fine but I don’t think we’ll need the tarts. You know I can’t eat them.” Lance reminded gently as Keith took his hand, leading him towards a door that the servants began opening for them. His breath hitched as soon as he saw the magnificent hallway. There was lava flowing on both sides, a beautiful red as it moved beside the path, lighting it up with its bright glow. Not only that, but there were also burning fires that were lit aflame in metallic pots, hanged to the rocky wall around them.

Wow… If the hallways looked like this, Lance couldn’t even fathom what Keith’s chambers looked like.

“You don’t have to eat them.” Keith’s eyes turned towards him, a pleased smile on his lips, “But they’ll be there if you change your mind.”

Lance felt a little worried here, _a little_ , because he knew that he and Keith would be able to get out of his realm when they decided to go. He trusts Keith, but he’ll have to be careful of his other nature. It never hurt to be a little cautious, “We could bring them back to my cottage. Then we’ll eat them with honey.” He suggested instead, hoping Keith would be satisfied with that.

The fae king hummed, his hold tight as he guided them through the fiery hallway, “We could do that.”

Lance felt relief at that, squeezing Keith’s hand back, “I knew you couldn’t resist honey.”

Keith’s eyes turned to look at him, a strange expression on his face, “Honey is among other things I can’t resist.”

“I bet one of the other things is your mullet. I still don’t get why you’d have it otherwise.” The other teased, catching a glimpse of metallic doors to their right, “These doors are huge. I really feel like I’m in a castle.” Not like he’d ever been in a castle, but it felt amazing all the same.

Keith smiled, taking a step forward before opening the door to reveal a bedroom, “This is a guest bedroom. My siblings use it when they come to visit. They always leave a mess behind but luckily I have my servants to clean up after them.”

“It’s really clean.” Lance noted, spotting lava on the sides of the room as well. Lava was everywhere, which was both beautiful and cool looking but should one accidentally step on it they’d have their feet burned to a crisp. He doubts the fae would have a problem with this though so he supposed it was fine.

“I’ll show you my chambers next.” Keith closed the door, tugging on Lance’s hand as he led him further down into the castle. Eventually they reached a large opening, and Lance couldn’t help but let his jaw drop wide open. The room was huge, with the biggest chandelier he’d ever seen hanging on top of the ceiling. There was fire everywhere, but not in a way that would inconvenience anyone, no, it was placed strategically in the places they were in, adding to the beautiful atmosphere of their surroundings, “You have to tell me who decorated this place. Just…wow…”

There was a nest in the room, an actual nest. It was a giant nest of branches all arranged and circular, with a mattress and blankets in the middle. A small mountain of pillows were stacked neatly on top. Keith beelined towards the bed, dragging Lance along with him as he crawled into the bedding. It was strangely soft once you made it past the branches, with the bedding clicking under them softly. The fae king let go of his hand now, throwing himself against the pillows, resting against them before turning back to watch the witch.

“This bed is huge.” Lance bounced on his knees a little, but the bedding merely sunk to accommodate him, “And soft. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“I willed it into existence.” Keith stretches his legs, bare feet barely even reaching half way across the rounded bed, “It pleases me to know you approve.”

Keith was watching him intently, leaning against those pillows, hands resting against his stomach. He seemed content enough as he is, legs freely stretched across the bed, anklet dangling from one of the limbs. He looked relaxed here, simply setting back and watching.

The door knocked. Keith didn’t look away at all a he answered, “Enter.”

One of the many servants opened the door, walking in silently and placing a golden tray of tarts and wine on the bed before leaving. Keith never even looked at the servant, waiting until they left before reaching for the treats.

“I adore tarts as hell.” Keith stated idly, reaching the sweet up to his mouth, eyes still on Lance, “I adore many sweet things.”

“I’m glad you like your treat.” Lance stated mildly.

Keith’s toes curled against the blanket, his snack to his mouth as he stared at the witch, watching him as he took a bite of the tart.

“Uhhh…” Lance scratched the back of his head, a bit uncomfortable by the obvious staring. He doesn’t remember Keith being like that before, which made him think that being in his realm was the cause of this, “Your realm is really beautiful Keith.” He decided to lighten up the mood a little, “You have dragons all over the place, have lava as a decoration, as well as fire!” He pointed to the lava as he mentioned it, “It’s amazing. Makes me wonder why you would ever decide to venture out into the human realm.”

The fae kept staring, meeting Lance’s eyes as he did. It was strange, and Lance couldn’t help but notice when Keith parted his lips, licking at the fruit on top the tart as well as the white cream that was on it. The lick was slow, and it did things to Lance he didn’t want to admit.

He might have said something about it if the situation wasn’t that…strange. The brunette gulped, nervously bumping his pointer fingers against each other, “I-I’m guessing that you took a liking to our village.”

The fae answered with a hum, biting into the tart, eyes unmoving. He ate the entire thing before licking his fingers, then pushing himself a bit closer to the other, “There’s a lot I can explore outside of my realm. I like to collect pretty things…sweet things…and then take them back home. I gather knowledge and then integrate those ideas into my realm. I’ve learned about tarts while in the human world, and I’ve been eating them since.” He reached out to take another, “You should have one.” He offered pushing himself even closer.

“I can’t have them.” Lance raised his hands up, moving away as Keith neared, “We can take them back to my cottage and eat them there. We should be going back soon.”

That seemed to snap something inside of Keith, making him flinch back for a moment, a level of genuine surprise crossing his features before he shook it off, his voice dazed and confused as he spoke, “Yes...yes...we should be going back…now…Right now.”

Keith dropped his tart back onto the golden tray, crawling forward on all fours, creeping up until he reached Lance, one of his hands finding purchase on the tanned witch’s thigh, pushing himself up until he was slowly climbing up Lance’s body. The brunette stopped breathing as soon as he realized what danger he was in.

A pale hand found its place on his chest, pulling up until the king was a mere inch away. He could feel Keith’s breath on his face, the smell of fruit and cream strong. Keith’s eyes shone with purple, as always, but it was different somehow, like the last line between the blues and reds of the sunset.

“Lance…” Keith sighed, his free hand reaching up to cup the witch’s cheek. He was breathing all uneven, face pinkish, still dazed. “...we should go now...before I want to give you gifts...more and more gifts...I’ve already thought of it...of all the pretty things I could decorate you in…”

Keith blinked, eyes going a little undazed, “I already planned a shop for you...we need to go…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: This is what happens when you put shit off Lance. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Let's face it, Keith is the true dragon lord~ Keith surrounded by dragons is one of my wishes for a fanart if I could ask for one XD With Lance in his lap of course <3
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	13. Chapter 13

At first Lance didn’t fully register what Keith was trying to say, however, when it hit him, his breath hitched. He laid unmoving for a second before standing up, quickly pushing Keith away while he still had some sense of control. Taking the pale hand, he quickly made his way out of bed, pulling Keith along as he went, “Hold on Keith.” They both stood up from the bed, but before he would run, Lance spotted the tarts at the edge of his eyes, biting his lip upon seeing them.

Keith would love to eat those later… and he would be happy for Lance to taste them as well. Cursing himself, Lance let go of Keith for a second to gather the tarts, neatly placing them into his satchel so that they wouldn’t get squished. He felt Keith embrace him from behind once he’d put them all away, jumping up in surprise, “We need to go.” The fae repeated, taking ahold of Lance’s hand as the witch began to run.

They needed to escape but he didn’t really know _how_. Did these realms have their own doors? He doesn’t remember seeing one when they arrived outside the castle. Time was of the essence, however, so he decided to run back to the place they came from.

They quickly made their way through the corridor, and luckily Keith followed behind him without a complaint. It didn’t take them long to get back outside, the warm hot air of the fire surrounding them. Lance panted, leaning his hands against his knees when he came to a stop, “I don’t remember seeing a door here.” He looked around but then turned to Keith when he didn’t see anything, “Help me out Ke-” He paused when he felt Keith’s hands cup his cheeks again, their eyes meeting.

“You didn’t eat anything. You should have had some tarts.” The fae spoke, a frown on his face, “I insist you have one before we leave.”

“I-It’s fine Keith. I’ll have one later.” Keith’s eyes were darker than they were a second ago and by now Lance knew what it meant. His nature was getting the better of him, clouding his judgement. It wasn’t Keith’s fault, even if he was scared, Lance knew that.

The witch took in a deep breath, then exhaled as he took a step forward, leaning his face against Keith’s hand, “We’ll eat the tarts together.” He raised his own hand to touch Keith’s, “I have so many things I want to tell you but before that I’ll need you to help me get us back. Dreadwarren is your home as well.”

Keith blinked, a bit of haze slipping away, “Yes, yes...you gifted me a house. You give me pretty things…”

“And I’ll keep giving you pretty things.” Lance reassured, brushing a few locks of inky black hair behind his pale ear, “And I have a lot more to share with you, but we can’t do that here.”

“Yes we can.” Keith insisted, both his hands wrapping around Lance’s. He leaned forward, intruding into the witch’s personal space again. This time Lance was aware of the dangers though, and leaned away, trying to back out. Keith only leaned closer and closer, determined to keep up, and Lance leaned further and further away to avoid it.

He went too far back though, and Lance found himself falling, Keith’s body being dragged down right alongside him. They landed in a pile on the floor, Keith’s body draped over his own. The pale king didn’t even seem to notice though, simply breathing deeply and speaking dazed, “You should stay with me. Stay with me. You and me, just us.”

“Keith.” Lance kept his voice _very_  even, “...it’s already you and me. You’re staying at my house. And you have a house. We need to go back now. Together. It’s important. Dreadwarren needs you.”

Keith blinked again, shaking off the daze, “Yes...you’re right. Dreadwarren….Dreadwarren is mine. I have to see it. I have to keep it safe. It has such pretty gifts.”

And suddenly the throne room was gone, like he’d blinked and he was suddenly back home, right on the edge of the misty bog, the ring of mushrooms out of sight. They were on the edge of the path instead, Keith still splayed on top of him.

Normally the bog wouldn’t be a relieving sight to see but in this moment it certainly was. Lance let himself relax, sighing in relief as he let his arms fall on the sides. They were back home…thank goodness…

“I-I’m…” He looked up when he heard Keith’s voice, noting the way Keith was clenching his hands against Lance’s shirt, biting the side of his lip in a frustrated manner, “I shouldn’t have offered you all those sweets. I don’t know wh-”

“Keith.” Lance wrapped his arms around the other tightly, squeezing and relishing the warmth that was Keith. The fae never felt warmer, a comforting weight on Lance’s body. He squeezed tight, burying his face into that soft black hair, “It’s okay, I don’t blame you for anything. You were trying to be a good host and show me around. Your…nature may have been stronger in there, but that’s still a part of who you are. I was amazed.”

The fae quirked his brows, a confusing expression covering his face, “I already had so many things planned Lance. I wanted to give you so many gifts.”

“I like gifts.” The brunette blushed, thanking the fact that his face was hidden within black hair, “You can give me those any time you want. It’s okay to give gifts, humans give them all the time. During Christmas, birthdays, easter, yada yada.” His voice was a bit muffled but it could still be understood, “Besides, I loved your realm. I’m grateful you took me there. And…you tried to hold back for me. I-I’ll hold that dear to my heart.”

Keith moved his head then, and as luck would have it, he managed to see Lance’s blush, despite the brunette trying to hide it. He blinked, looking down at the human confusingly. Then a smile spread across his face once he realised that Lance enjoyed his time within his realm.

“W-We should get back to my cottage. I managed to grab the tarts before leaving. We could eat them along with milk.” Lance offered, not daring to look at the fae with the blush still on his face.

“That sounds wonderful.” Keith exhaled, a smile on his lips. He pushed himself off of Lance, standing and brushing off imaginary dirt from his clothes. When he was done he held out a hand for the witch as well, “Come.”

Lance grinned, taking the hand and pulling himself up, standing on wobbly legs. The two of them paused a moment, standing there in comfortable silence as peace settled between them. Lance tugged at the hand holding his, nudging Keith forward, “Come on, let's go home.”

There was no daze in Keith’s eyes anymore, but he remained quiet. He followed Lance’s lead with a smile though, so the witch didn’t worry about him too much.

Keith had landed them right beside the trail home, and Lance easily recognized the way back. He grinned, walking the familiar path back to his cottage easily, grateful for the sight of the simple wooden home. Keith’s realm was amazing, but here he knew Keith wouldn’t be fighting his inner nature nearly as harshly for now.

The fae king didn’t break the silence until they were stepping up the front porch of the cottage, stopping Lance just before the door, “Wait.”

“Hmmm.” Lance hummed, turning to face his companion. Keith was frowning now, visibly upset, and that made Lance lose his own smile very quickly, “You’re upset.”

“I don’t think my realm is favorable.” Keith’s eyes flickered over Lance, “Not if you can’t eat while we wait out my family, and I’ve clearly proven I can’t be trusted. I insist we return to our original plan about trapping me inside.” Keith paused now, becoming more upset, licking his chapped lips, “Or...we need to separate. You close yourself into the house and I close myself into my realm…”

Keith was so visibly distraught by the suggestion that Lance shook his head immediately, “No.”

“Lance…” Keith tried, “I...do not know what else to do. It’s either this or sealing the house with me inside.”

“Keith just…” Lance squeezed the pale hand, looking up into those bright violet eyes, “Let’s think about it later tonight. Right now we’re in immediate need of honey and fae tarts.”

“We can’t wait any longer Lance. They’ll come for us soon. We only have about seven or eight days left, and even that depends on how much they got done by now. My siblings are excited, they’d want to begin the ceremony as soon as they can.”

“We’ll think of something.” Lance squeezed his hand again, gently pulling him into the house, “Just give me a bit of time to think of something.”

“Time is what we don’t have.” Keith warned, watching as Lance closed the door behind them before venturing out into the kitchen. The witch didn’t let go of his hand even as he reached into the cupboards in search or honey, picking it up and placing the jar on the table. Then he took out the tarts, forced to let go of Keith’s hand to get some plates. He placed the delicious looking treats onto the table as well, then finishing it off with two cups of milk.

“I’ll think of something, give me till tonight.” The witch took a sip of his milk, thinking over what they could do. The easiest option would be for him and Keith to separate and go their separate ways until the danger of the ceremony was over. After the promised ten days pass, they’ll be safe.

Or would they be safe?

Keith’s family seemed insistent and amused to play with their little brother, which meant that they’d always be in danger. They might get bored of it easily, but considering it was their sibling they were teasing, and thinking about the circumstances, Lance doubted they would just let go like that.

He can’t be trapped within a house surrounded by salt and iron for all eternity, and Keith can’t remain in his realm forever. That wasn’t the right way to go…but what else could they do?

“Alright.” Keith sighed within his seat, opening the lid of the honey, “I’ll give you till tonight then, but no later than that.”

“I’m grateful.” Lance thanked him in his own fae way, smiling softly at the other. Sure part of the reason he didn’t want Keith to go away was because of the way his expression twisted when he suggested it, but it was also because he enjoyed Keith’s company. It felt really strange in some way but…he doesn’t think he can let go of Keith just that.

Their date in Keith’s realm went pretty well until they had to flee but then then it wasn’t that ba-Wait! Date? Lance placed his bottle of milk down on the table, hand flying to cover his mouth. Was this a date? It wasn’t but it could be seen as one. Oh god… this could totally pass as a date!

And now that he thought about it more and more, he and Keith were kind of close now. They’re holding hands, hugging, cuddling, and even exchanging gifts for no reason at all. Wait… wait, wait… Could it be that he let this happen without even realising it?

What if he’s unconsciously dating Keith without even knowing about it? Is that a thing? He heard from his mother that she’d been with his father for weeks without even noticing how close they were. She’d even slept in his bed with him, cuddling and all without even realising what was happening. It was only once it hit her she was doing these things when she asked his father if they were dating, and he said that he thought they were all this time.

What if the same thing is happening to him as well? What if he and Keith are already dating?

Blue eyes moved onto the fae, watching as he ate a spoonful of honey. W-Well… Keith is attractive for sure. He has unexpectedly soft hair and has a nice body as well. He was kind, understanding and empathetic towards the villagers as well. When Lance formed a contract with him, all Keith asked in return were gifts, which was strange for a fae. Now that Lance thought about it, he was _extremely_  lucky to have Keith come to him that day instead of another fae.

If it weren’t for Keith, he wouldn’t have known that Romelle was trying to lure him into the bogs, and he never would have known about the altar witch as well. It was all thanks to Keith that he managed to do all these things. And looking at Keith right now…he thinks that he wouldn’t mind dating him. If that’s what they were doing now, and if Keith was interested as well, then he’d accept.“Tell me if you like the tarts.” Keith’s voice snapped him from his thoughts, jumping up in fright.

“I-I wasn’t thinking about dating I swear! Nope!” He said before he could think twice about it, his eyes meeting Keith’s own and cheeks heating up. Oh god… “Oh yeah! The tarts! I’ll try one.” He sat himself back down onto his seat, taking a tart from the plate. He bit into it, letting the sweetness of it overtake his mouth, “They’re delicious.” His eyes lit up, chewing on the treat, “They’re as sweet as honey but with a different flavour. I love it.”

“They’re good.” Keith nodded, his own tart from earlier returned to him. He’s nibbling at it slowly, taking the smallest bites and savouring the flavour. “I discovered them on an island near one of my cousin’s territory.”

“Mmmm.” Lance hummed, “You’ll have to introduce me to other treats.”

“You mentioned dates just now.” Keith perked up, and Lance’s heart nearly burst out of his chest for a moment before Keith continued speaking, “I could find you some. They are a really good fruit and they don’t grow in this territory. You must have spent a lot of coin on one if you tried it before.”

No, because Lance didn’t know there was a fruit called a _date_. Also, apparently, Keith thought Lance really, really, wanted that fruit now. He could deal with this, “Actually, I’ve never tried it.”

Keith titled his head, but luckily didn’t question the new information too much, “Then I’ll bring you some someday after all of this. Oh, and there’s this fruit called a lemon you might like. It’s yellow and sour, but sweet at the same time. You’d like it. And bananas. And mangos. There are all sorts of foods you’ve probably never heard of.”

Lance’s chest warmed at the innocent excitement on Keith’s face as he rambled on about sweet things from places far away. It felt good to see him happy again after being so upset since the start of this whole situation. He’d been stressed, he was still stressed, but it was nice to see him distracted for a moment.

It felt like seeing a glimpse of what Keith and he would be like once this whole thing was over.

Time flew from that point onwards without the two of them being aware of it. They spoke about many different things like fruits, and then their favourite colours and hobbies. Lance had learned that Keith loved the colour red, and that he was fond of drawing as well. It would explain the drawings he made in the book, depicting unicorns exactly as they were and yet also adding a beauty to them that wasn’t originally there.

Somehow Lance found himself grabbing that same book, bringing it over and allowing Keith to draw more things into it. He drew ghouls, vampires, werewolves, and many other creatures as well. Lance watched him as he worked, observing how a couple of lines slowly began forming shapes and then distinct creatures. But out of everything Keith drew, Lance had to say that his drawing of a dragon killed it. The creature was portrayed majestically with its wings spread so wide that it took up two whole pages of the book.

It was beautiful, and as Lance watched Keith draw, he couldn’t help but sneak a look towards the noirette, feeling his lips lift upwards as soon as he noticed the soft smile on Keith’s face. He was beautiful, even more so than the dragon he knew. It made Lance’s heart skip a beat, and only now did he realise that it did the same thing before, only then he didn’t notice the cause of it.

The more he watched Keith, the clearer his thoughts became. He…he thinks that he likes Keith in a romantic way. He felt his body warm up at the thought, holding those thoughts at bay in favour of watching Keith draw.

This felt good. He could get used to it.

At some point when the sun set, they found themselves up in Lance’s bedroom with Keith draped over Lance’s body, the fae’s head resting on Lance’s chest as the witch played with the black hair. Of course Lance expressed his concerns about Keith coming into his bed like that, but with some persuasion, he decided to let Keith join him. _Ehem_ … not that he needed any. He just didn’t want to make it too obvious to Keith that he’d let him into the bed that easily.

And that’s how Lance found himself making a braid on the side of Keith’s head, carefully caressing the black hair and listening as Keith let out pleased hums in return, “Hmm… You said you’d tell me what your answer was tonight. It’s night already.” Keith spoke softly, Lance flinching for a moment before resuming his work on the braid.

“I’m busy making a braid Keith. It takes absolute concentration to make one.”

“I doubt talking would get in your way.” The fae lazily extended his hands upward, wrapping them around Lance’s shoulders, “We don’t have the time.”

They didn’t have the time, Keith was right, but still the choice was hard to make. In the end, there was only one solution he could think of and he didn’t like it, “I think we should stay here as is. Your siblings may have already forgotten about us.”

Keith let out a snort, “I doubt it.”

Great… “It’s either that or we flee together. We might not find a place to sleep in but if we’re on the move then your family can’t find us. We’ll wait this whole situation out.” Lance slowed the movement of his hands, thinking over his next option, “A-Another thing we can do…is for you to lose your virginity before the ceremony.”

Another long silence fell between them, Lance’s fingers still shifting through long locks of hair. Lance’s heart beat frantically in his chest, waiting and waiting and waiting against for whatever Keith had to say to that. It took a long time for Keith to speak, and by then the witch's hands were shaking through weaving the braid.

“We can't run forever.” Keith says with an air of defeat, “There’s too many of them, and we both have lives outside of running. It would be only be a matter of time and exhaustion.”

Lance licked his lips, “Then...the only permanent solution is for you to lose your virginity.”

“That’s the problem that put us in this situation.” Keith sinks into him, “I...have a condition…”

The brunette shot up, heart in his throat, “You didn’t tell me you were sick!”

“Yes.” Keith sank further, defeated, that old look of shame returned as he tried to hide his face, “I can’t...I don’t. I don’t _want_  sex with people. Or, well, I thought I didn’t. Lance, I think I...I…”

Lance couldn’t see Keith face from where he’d hidden it, but his ears were burning bright red from shame as he continued, “...I only want it...I think I only want it when I _really_ like them. I only want…”

Keith turned to look up, his eyes were dazed over again, dilated, staring at the witch. He looked so flushed, his teeth biting into his bottom lip, “...I’m sick...I’m sick….”

“Keith…” Lance brushed the bangs out of the flushed face, his own heart beating wildly, “You’re not sick, that’s normal.”

“Not for our kind.” Keith admitted, hands twisting into Lance’s shirt, “Not for fae...I’m sick...I’m not _normal_.”

“That’s not a bad thing Keith, you’re not sick.” Lance cups his cheeks, “You’re perfect the way you are. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

There was something heavy between them now, and Keith was still staring at him with those wide blown eyes. He could do something right now, he realizes, but he thinks if he does he can’t go back again. He doesn’t think he wants to either, so he leans forward, brushing their lips just the smallest bit, just to test the waters.

Those lips taste sweet.

Keith doesn’t know what kisses are, not really, but he reciprocates by trying to match Lance’s movements. His mouth is open, so Lance, who at least has some idea what he’s doing, takes the lead. It’s chaste, at first, and becomes just a bit more heated as he pokes his tongue in experimentally. They’re both sloppy and inexperienced, messier than it should be, but it may be the best thing he’s ever felt.

He wasn’t going to lie, at first it felt a bit gross…the foreign feeling of tongues touching strange at the beginning. However, it didn’t take long for him to get used to it, only if it wasn’t for their teeth getting in their way. He’d seen Hunk and Shay kiss before, tilting their heads to the side. Lance decides to follow in their example, tilting his head to the side to allow for better access.

He thinks this is the right way to do it. It felt right and it made the kiss that much more enjoyable. There was a massive blush spread across his face, relishing the feeling of the kiss and yet foreign to the intimacy it brought. Lovers kiss a lot but Lance had yet to learn how they could do such an intimate thing in public.

His body was hot all over, moving his hands to cup Keith’s cheeks. The fae returned the gesture as well, tracing his hands upward and towards Lance’s face. He sneaked his hands behind brown hair, lighting tugging on it as they kissed.

There were wet sounds he could hear, causing his blush to deepen even further. Lance already felt saliva dropping from the side of his lips due to how sloppy they were. It wasn’t perfect, on contrary, he’d say that they’d look ridiculous if someone saw them. Luckily nobody was here though, giving them the freedom to get used to the feeling and learn.

He felt Keith move his hands, pushing himself upward so that he was hovering above him. The kiss broke as they both panted, eyes meeting. They were so close that Lance didn’t have to look twice to see how blown Keith’s eyes were, his pupils filling the majority of his eyes.

He watched as Keith leaned in close again, eyes held in a gaze before closing when they were near enough. This time they leaned their heads to the side right away, and already it was a world of difference. They were still sloppy, there were wet sounds, and they would absolutely be laughed at if anyone saw them, but that was okay. None of them thought about those things right now, not when they’d just discovered what a kiss was.

When they broke again, Lance felt saliva dripping from the side of his mouth again, falling down his neck. It only added to his embarrassment as he looked into those violet eyes, clarity slowly returning to him when he suddenly began to realize what just happened.

He just kissed a fae _king_. A _king!_

It was all so overwhelming, even now as Keith stared down at him with those black eyes of his. It did nothing to help Lance’s poor heart so he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled Keith down into a hug, holding onto the fae tightly so that he couldn’t see his face.

Quiznak… What did he just do? What was that?

Lance yelped as teeth dug into his neck, wet lips pressed sloppily as the skin was sucked into Keith’s mouth greedily. The witch jerked back, eyes going wide and body going red, his blood rushed straight downward too, and he realized that it was time to slow this down.

Or he would have, if Keith hadn’t trailed his wet lips all over his neck until he found this _one_  spot where his neck met the collarbone that felt  _really good_  when Keith bit at it. He ended up rutting against him once involuntarily. “K-Keith.”

The king pulled away, eyeing the place he’d bitten, “The mark shouldn’t hurt.”

“M-Mark!” Lance sputtered, jerking up to touch the spot Keith abused, wincing when his fingers came into contact with the sensitive skin, a bruise most likely developing at this very moment.  If he thought his heart was beating rapidly before than he was wrong, because it had nothing on the rapid drum-like rhythm in his chest now. He was a little dizzy now, very dizzy, “Keith! You left a bruise!”

“I’m not experienced, but that’s the first thing you do.” Keith’s hands re-found a place on his back, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt, “That’s the first thing you do when you want someone. It’s our version of a kiss, I believe, we mark.”

Oh. Oh! Lance was not ready for this. They barely got to kissing and now Keith is already leaving teeth-marks on his neck because fae, apparently, really did have no shame. Which shouldn’t be surprising him so much considering he’s in danger of becoming a part of a fae sex ritual. Still, this should not arouse him as much as it does, especially with the object of his arousal perched _right here_  and...and…

“Shit.” Lance hissed, because his dick is aching and pressed right against Keith’s thigh. Keith doesn’t seem to mind though, if his wandering hands and wet lips pressing against his neck again is any indication. The noirette presses closer, and Lance feels his breath hitch when his erection is pressed a little too close to his own.

“Keith.” Lance breaths when Keith is done trying to deepen the bruise, “I don’t...know what I’m doing.”

“Neither do I.” Keith admits, breathing against Lance’s skin, face just as flushed as Lance’s, “I only know what I’ve seen.”

“Then you should wait for the ceremony baby brother.” A new, _very_  happy voice spoke, and suddenly Keith was gone, pulled from right on top of Lance and into the arms of a girl with a _rainbow_  colored set of hair, pulling him into her arms, “Awwwww~ I’m so happy for you! You were so distracted you didn’t even notice us!”

“Ezor!” Keith hissed, suddenly _hateful_. “Go away!”

“You can’t spoil the ceremony brother!” The girl cried, “You’re the baby! And you’ve scared everyone! We  _have_  to do this to celebrate that you’re finally ready to grow up! That’s why we came to get you early! Right after we managed to figure out where you ran off too!”

She spun on her heel, twirling Keith around while she squealed, “I have to get you ready! You’ll finally get the talk!”

“I was promised seven more days!” Keith protested angrily, kicking and elbowing his way out of her arms, “Leave us be!”

“You were promised seven more days until the ceremony.” Ezor nodded, satisfied, “But you have to get _ready_. We have to teach you what to do! And we have to feed you and get you ready! That’s why we’re here to pick you up! Don’t worry, we’ll be back for your lover.”

Despite how dizzy he felt, Lance quickly reached under his bed, taking a hidden raven skull he had there. Throwing at at the intruder fae, he used his magic to bring the bird back to life. It flew to attack the fae, pecking her with its sharp beak on all sides.

“Ouch! Ouch! Hey! No far!” Ezor swung her arm in the air, trying to fight off the crow. She didn’t expect Blue and Red to join in and help, throwing themselves onto the intruder, “Ow! Ouch! Ouch!” She let go of Keith in favour of using both of her arms involuntarily releasing him from his grasp.

Keith used his power, willing his hand to turn into a large clawed hand of a dragon, pinning Ezor against the wall and surrounding her in razor sharp claws. His eyes narrowed at her in spite, not in the mood to play with her little games, “I didn’t agree to the ceremony. You should all let it go and leave me the hell alone.”

“But we can’t do that baby brother! We have to make sure you grow up to be everything we expect of you. Besides, as far as I see it, you need the help. That’s the terms so accept it. Big sister will tell you all there is about sex.” She winked at him, provoking him to use more force in his hand.

“I don’t need _you_  to tell me those things! If there’s anyone I’ll listen to, then it’s Shiro.”

“No way! More experience doesn’t mean that he knows about it more than me! Sure he and Adam had a bang ceremony but that’s no reason to deny my help!”

Keith’s cheeks gained a tint of red, “Shut up! At least Shiro understands! You’d only make fun of me for it!”

“I wouldn’t do that! How rude! You’ll hear from my lawyer!”

Keith quirked a brow at that, causing Ezor to giggle, “It’s a human thing. Your lover will teach you about it once you do the deed. But~ Anyway! You really should let me go, otherwise you’ll get yourself in bigger trouble. I volunteered to come here and pick you up, but we agreed that if I take too long that he can join me inside as well.”

“You’re trying to fool me.” Keith grumbled, “I’ll have you leave now and never come ba-”

“Baby brother!!!! I’m sooooo happy to see you again!” Keith flinched when a new voice sounded just behind him, embracing him tightly from the back. Lance’s eyes widened as well, spotting the new fae just behind Keith, capturing him within his hold, “I knew you’d try to resist us! How typical of you.”

“Sven! Let me go!” Keith wiggled in his hold but found it that he couldn’t free himself from Sven’s tight hold, “I’m not going anywhere!”

“Awwww!!! As stubborn as always! Don’t worry baby brother, we’ll take good care of you. The day has finally come when we all get to gather and watch your coming of age! Ahh! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. It’s been centuries!”

Lance quickly willed the crow to move, aiming for new the fae that just appeared. However, the crow was suddenly set on fire, burning the bird and making it cry out in pain before it turned to ash on the wooden floor. Blue and Red held their ground, hissing as they stared at the two fae intruders.

Lance remained seated on the bed, scared but also determined to help Keith. This was all his fault, he was to blame for all of this. He _should_  have listened to Keith when he said to ward the house. If he did that, they wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

He clenched his hands onto the sheets under him, cursing himself for… for… making such a stupid and pointless decision. Words couldn’t describe how dumb he felt, swearing to himself that he’ll ward the house as soon as they get rid of these intruders, _if_  they get rid of them.

He quickly grabbed onto a bottle of poison he hid under his pillow, aiming it at the fae holding Keith, “You better back off or I’ll burn your face. Let go of Keith!”

The poison hit its target, glass shattering on impact and contents spreading all over his back. The flesh instantly started to burn, skin boiling under the abuse. Despite this the fae did not, in fact, let go of Keith. He did perk up though, grinning wildly, “You’re protective! That’s excellent! I like that name too. Keith. Keith. Keeeeeeith.”

“I said let him go.” Lance demanded, glaring harshly at the older fae, hand reaching for another trinkets, “Let him go and get out of my house!”

“We’ll leave.” The still burning fae, Sven, grinned, “But we have to get baby brother ready! We’re all very excited about this. He’s the baby of the family you know.”

“Even your father is coming to the ceremony.” Ezor perked up, grabbing Keith’s legs to keep him from kicking out of Sven’s hold. If the news was meant to comfort the struggling fae king then it failed to do so, resulting in the exact opposite reaction. Keith’s eyes widened and he renewed his struggles with vigour, “No, no, absolutely not!”

“He doesn’t want to!” Lance shouted, fist clenching at his side, “Leave him alone! We were doing just fine without your help!”

“Didn’t look like it to me.” Ezor shrugged, eyeing Lance doubtfully, “I bet you don’t even know about proper lubrication.”

Keith’s face went so red that Lance though he would pass out right there. Sven nodded along knowingly, and Lance wished he _did_  know what she was talking about because he wasn’t exactly experienced. Still, he wasn’t about to admit that, “I know plenty.”

“I’m sure.” Ezor nodded, “And all about your kinks too.”

Okay, that wasn’t fair. He and Keith didn’t exactly have time to explore that particular avenue of their relationship because _someone_  decided to break in just before they were on their way to figuring this out. Sure, okay, maybe it wouldn’t be as good as it could be, but it still would have been great and they could’ve learned as they went, without unwanted interference.

“Neither of us want your help.” Lance argues, “You just burst in and interrupted us.”

“Good thing we did. Baby brother’s first time shouldn’t be painful.” Ezor clicked her tongue, staring at Lance, “Sven, you get him home. I’ll stay and teach his lover all about everything he’ll need to know.”

“Okay!” Sven perked up around the same time Keith gave an unhappy, “No!”

Lance felt a surge of power surround the two, and then just like that, they both vanished without a trace, “Keith!” He called, trying to reach for the fae but instead fell down from the bed with a thud. Rubbing the abused areas, he looked up at Ezor with narrowed eyes, “Bring him back!”

“No can do witchy. We’re here to take care of our little brother, which means that you’re about to get _the talk_  from m-Oh!” Ezor moved away just in time to evade Red who tried to jump up on her back. The cat landed on its paws,  hissing loudly at her, “Bad kitty.”

“Good kitty.” Lance reached under his bed, taking a wand that was there. He had a lot of things hidden under his bed, okay! Don’t ask, “I don’t need a lecture from you, or anything else you might offer. All I want is for you to let Keith go.”

The fae sighed in place, leaning her forehead against her hand, “You’re the type that won’t listen, I get that. It just means I’ll have to give my lesson whether you want it or not.” She hopped to the side when Blue tried to attack her, evading the cat swiftly and without a sweat, “Rule number one! Before you’re about to do the deed, you’ll need to clean yourself. You’re a human male which means that you need the time to prepare beforehand. We’ll give you that time honey, no need to worry.”

A massive blush spread across Lance’s face, “Shut up!” He aimed his wand at her, but the fae evaded easily. He managed to hit a bookcase with his magic, knocking the books down onto the ground.

“Rule number two! After you’re done cleaning you’ll be ready for the do. As a family, we’ll place both you and baby brother on the bed. Well take your clothes off and then you can begin. It’s important that you use lubrication, otherwise it’ll really  _really_  hurt. It’s a step you might not want to forget.”

The witch aimed his wand at her again, but unfortunately for him, the agile girl evaded, “Then come the fingers. You’ll need to stretch baby brother before the penetration comes. First you put in one, then tw-ohh!” She evaded Lance’s magic again, but it didn’t stop her from her lesson, “Then three! After three fingers, you put in the dick.”

“Ugh! J-Just stop already! If you won’t bring Keith back then get out of my house!” Lance had enough so he used a larger quantity of his magic. It would drain him, but it was worth it if it would get the annoying fae to leave him alone. He willed a strong gust of wind to move, so strong that it opened the window of his bedroom by force.

Ezor was taken by surprise, holding onto a furniture near her, “It’s okay to be embarrassed! I was too when I was still a little virgin. But I think that should be all for now. I’ll fill you up on anything I might have forgotten later! Bye!” And just like that she vanished into thin air, leaving no traces behind.

Lance ceased the flow of his magic, feeling himself become more and more dizzy. He let his upper body fall onto the ground, exhaustion creeping up on him. Blue eyes closed for a minute before opening again, looking around for any signs of life. Blue and Red were the only ones in the room apart from him as all of the intruders left, along with Keith.

“Keith… I’m so sorry.” Lance clenched his fists and jaw, feeling the weight of what he’d done. It was all his fault. He didn’t want to put out the salt and iron despite Keith warning him about it. No, he had to be naive like tha-Actually, pure stupidity is what it was. He should have listened to Keith when he suggested it. God… why didn’t he listen?

Blue and Red made their way over to him, looking down at him in confusion. The witch sighed, letting the two felines lick him, “He’s gone and it’s all my fault.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: Happy Thankgiving everyone! Work kicked my poor butt today. *Looks at below comment about the Witcher OST* I'm not ashamed, "The Laides Of The Woods" is a fantastic OST.
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: I didn't know date was a fruit as well XD Google it. Also, thank you soooo much nabaris for drawing fanart for this fic <3 You're precious <3 I'm not sure if you'd like us to add links here but I'd love to show it if we can <3
> 
> I'm not sure if we posted this, but we consider this the iconic song for this story (and yep it's Witcher *looks at BBell* XD) Lance, the bone witch, and the altar witch are the three witches. And the altar is what we imagine Keith's would look like too XD  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob9F1lsULIA
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


	14. Chapter 14

Waiting for Keith to return was fruitless. A day later and his companion still hadn’t come back. The young witch tried to distract himself with neglected work and checking up on the altar, seeing how the villagers were handling their new reality, but that only worked for so long. He kept checking over his shoulders, waiting for the pale fae to return.

It felt like there was a hole in his life now, one where Keith used to be.

The crippling worry he felt for his companion was agonizing. He hadn’t heard a word for days, other than the occasional visit from Keith’s various “siblings” and “cousins” that came to check and make sure he didn’t run or lose his virginity to someone else.

He doesn’t think he could anymore. He thought about it, spitefully, wanting to ruin this stupid ceremony for them all, but then he thinks of Keith and the utter betrayal the other would feel if he did and how dirty and disgusting  _he_  would feel if he did it that way. He didn’t want to be that person, and he didn’t want to do that to Keith after they had just sort-of gotten together.

Lance could have locked himself inside the house, lined everything with salt and iron, and hidden away from Keith’s family until the ceremony was over. He’d thought about it, had even grabbed salt and almost started pouring, but then his mind assaulted him with images of some stranger taking his place, just walking up and fucking Keith while he was high on whatever they did to make people relaxed during the ceremony, then Keith having a baby with that stranger, however that was done. The flash of rage and vicious jealousy twisted in his gut right next to the agonizing worry and Lance stopped pouring.

With no other choice, Lance started to try and make peace with the fact he was going through with the ceremony.

It definitely wasn’t his first choice in the way he was going to be with Keith. It was intrusive, embarrassing, and it was definitely going to be uncomfortable. Still, at this point it was better than leaving Keith to sleep with some stranger, so Lance began trying to get used to the idea and getting ready for it.

...He may have started practicing…

It’s sort of the only form of rebelling he had, but he did take Ezor’s advice to heart and started practicing with his fingers. He’d never done...that...before, but he wanted to make sure he was ready because there was no way he was the one doing it to Keith. Not yet. Not when Keith was going to be extra fertile and drugged to the bone with potions and foods meant to conceive. So he started with anything he figured he could lube himself with and started trying to get used to the sensation.

He also tried practicing in front of his cats, which was just as embarrassing as it sounded. Not that his cats seemed to care much, just staring at him whenever he got started, but it was just as embarrassing and awkward as he thought it would be to do this while being watched by two cat. Still, after a few days of that even the shame started to fade.

He should probably be concerned about that actually, but then he reminded himself that this would be nothing compared to having  _actual_  sex in front of way more people.

Not only ordinary people but powerful fae as well. It made him all the more anxious when he remembered what Ezor said about Keith’s father attending as well, which meant that he’ll be doing it in front of a… god.

Lance covered his face with a pillow as soon as he was done with the last round of the day. He was proud to say that he’d gotten pretty used to the feeling since he began. At first it was strange, even with the lubrication, but then as he explored his body more and more, he found pleasures he didn’t know existed. He’d even managed to bring himself to a high without touching his dick once, and _that_  was an experience.

And now he laid in bed, exhausted and spent. He managed to will himself to take a shower, but once he was all clean he let his tired body fall onto the mattress. Sighing tiredly, Lance let himself sink into the pillows, relishing the time he still had.

Nine days already passed, which meant that the ceremony was tomorrow. He’ll need to get ready for Keith’s family members to come and pick him up. He wonders when they’ll do it. Morning? Evening? Night? They need the time to prepare him so he thinks they’ll come sometime in the evening. If fae ceremonies were anything like humans ones, then they’ll take place during the night.

When the moon is high up in the sky, that’s when fae are the strongest. It depends on the weather of course, as well as the cycle of the moon. The full moon is the most dangerous because that’s when fae are the most powerful. He hadn’t been watching the cycles with everything going on but he thinks the moon will shine brightly tomorrow.

Why does he always have the worst luck?

He tried to clear his head of the thoughts and instead decided to go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day, and he’ll need to be ready for it. For the first time in his life, Lance fell asleep naked.

When morning came, the witch found himself opening his eyes before the sun even rose above the horizon. He’d been anxious, and in the end was unable to sleep because of it. Pushing himself off the bed, he passed both Blue and Red as he made his way to the bathroom, washing himself so that he was ready for the ceremony. He took extra precaution to use his best potions, hoping they’d somehow help him when the time came.

He made sure his skin was soft and clear, free of any blemishes that would dare appear. The fae would surely notice it if he had one. They’ll be watching after all… Oh god… they’ll be watching.

He didn’t bother putting on any clothes as he made his way back to his bedroom. Usually he would bring his clothes with him to the bathroom, but this time he felt no need to. He’d gotten used to walking around nude inside his cottage, but while that was relieving, it didn’t help his cause at all. Instead he tried to imagine Hunk and the others looking at him as he practiced or walked around, and _that_  made it all that much more embarrassing.

At this point he didn’t know if he preferred Hunk or Keith’s family watching… Hunk. Yep. It had to be Hunk. Keith’s family was made up of gods and if he messes up, he might very well have his head cut off.

Once he was done getting dressed, Lance decided to gather anything else he needed before waiting for Keith’s family to arrive. He sat at his dining table, anxiously looking at the wooden door of his house. Once they open, he won’t come back as the same person. He was about to become a true man and step into adulthood. This would be it, for both him and Keith.

If Ezor and the Sven guy didn’t come in and interrupt them, maybe Lance would have already lost his virginity. It would have been over before he knew it, but the ceremony gave him more time to think about it. The whole thing made him think about both love and sex, questioning if they were the same.

Should they be seen as the same thing? He wasn’t sure, but he’d like to think that sex is done out of love. Some people may argue against it, but that was his interpretation of it. Lance shook his head, trying to rid of the thoughts. He had to be ready for the fae when they arrive.

He tried to distract himself, he really did. He worked a bit, cutting herbs and pressing them for when he made potions later. He didn’t work on anything that would take a lot of time or that needed to sit. He had no idea when he’d be picked up after all, and he didn’t want to come home to a burned down cottage.

Lance wishes they would hurry up. Every minute that passed was another minute of anxiety building up. He was left in his thoughts, rolling the knowledge of what would happen tonight in his mind over and over again. The more he ended up thinking about it, the worse his nervousness got, his face going red and hot in the face of his own embarrassment and fear.

What if he didn’t make it good for Keith?

No. No, he’d practiced everything. He knew what to do. He’d explored everything he needed to for this ceremony. He just had to stop thinking about the fact  _Keith_  would be the one doing those things and that Keith’s family would be watching. Who cares what they thought anyway? Their opinions don’t matter to him.

Fuck. He hopes that if he says that enough it won’t keep being a lie.

It took half the morning before anyone showed up. Unlike Ezor and Sven they were polite enough to knock though. Lance nearly drops his herb knife, surprised by the simple courtesy. He knows it has to be the fae, having warned everyone in the village that he wouldn’t be available today. He takes a calming breath, running his hands through his hair nervously.

Right, right, it was time.

He makes his way over towards the door, making sure Red and Blue were tucked away safely first. He doesn’t need them getting out before him. Still, now he has no excuses not to go near the door and creeps over quietly.

He takes a last calming breath before opening the door.

There’s a woman on the other side. Blue eyes widen as he takes in the sight of her. She’s the very image of Keith, only with indigo skin and golden tinted eyes. Her hair is the same color as Keith’s, only with a pinkish undercut, cut into a rat tail at that. There are marks on her cheeks, indications of her power. She stands tall over him, dressed in robes and feathers, staff in hand.

She’s staring at him, studying, like she’s trying to decide if it was better to slay him right now. She seems to find  _something_  she approves of about him and nods, “I am the Morrigan. I’ve come to prepare you for my son’s ceremony.”

Lance stiffens as soon as he hears her name. The fae standing before him was none other than _the_  Morrigan, a goddess of war. If she wanted to, she could destroy his entire cottage along with him in seconds. A goddess of battle, and undoubtedly, she’d taken part in many of the wars that ever occurred.

The witch swallows a large gulp in his throat, eyes undaring to move away from the powerful fae, “I’m Lance.” He introduces himself, trying to return the same level of etiquette as her, “I’m ready to go.” Standing still he could feel her piercing gaze, not daring to look away in case it was seen as rude in fae culture.

“Very well, then we shall take our leave.” She offered her hand for him to take, and Lance knew that the moment he takes it, he would be taken to the ceremony. That’s how the fae preferred to travel anyway, if the way Keith and his siblings appeared and disappeared was anything to go by.

Lance made sure to close the door of his cottage, locking it before looking up at the Morrigan again. He could feel the fear within himself, but pushes it down in favour of doing what he set out to do. He takes her hand, and she squeezes his in return. As soon as he knew it, Lance found himself in a completely different place in a blink of an eye.

The Morrigan lets go of his hand, allowing him to look around at his surroundings. They were no longer in the bogs but instead in a forest with incredibly high trees. Lance turned, his small cottage house gone from his sights, replaced by trees and lights in the distance. He could see the party beginning to unfold, lit up by fires surroundings the gathered fae. From what he could tell where he stood, he could also see foods of all kinds scattered around. There was dancing as well, and as a human, Lance allowed himself to compare this to a wedding scene. It had the same vibe to it, only with powerful creatures in attendance instead of ordinary humans.

“We’ll need to get you dressed for the occasion.” He flinched when he heard the Morrigan speak, turning to her and giving her his absolute attention, “You’ll need to clean yourself and then put on these clothes.” She walked up to a tree branch that had the clothes hanging from it, taking them to give to Lance.

A blush quickly spread across tanned cheeks as soon as he saw the clothing. It was very… revealing and the material was one of the softest he’d ever seen. He remembers Keith telling him that it was important for the clothes to be weak like this so that they were easy to tear off-Wait! Lance turned on his heels, looking back into the crowd of fae in the distance.

They were far away so it was hard to tell but his fears were confirmed when he didn’t see any variety of colours on their bodies. They were all naked… Oh god… They were all completely  _nude_. He turned to Keith’s mother again, now thankful that she had  _any_  clothes at all. It made him feel a bit better knowing that he and Keith won’t be the only naked ones when they began doing the do. It shouldn’t feel relieving, but it was.

“Get dressed. As my son’s partner, you’re expected to attend the festivities. I’m sure other family members would like to see you before the ceremony begins.” The Morrigan spoke, giving Lance some privacy by going over to lean against a tree trunk to the side. He was thankful for that, and so far, Keith’s mother didn’t seem all that bad. She was better than Keith’s siblings, that’s for sure.

“I’ll be quick.” Lance began changing, taking of his clothes in favour of putting on the new ones. They were soft and comfortable to be in, even though they were as revealing as they were. Then again, he had nothing to complain about since he  _had_  clothes. It made him wonder if the Morrigan would take off her clothes as well… he hopes she doesn’t. W-What about Keith’s father? Would he take them off?

He prayed to all the gods he knew that the fae at least wouldn’t do that to their own gods. They didn’t seem to view nudity the same way humans do, which was concerning. The only thing left for him to do was hope.

He was done fairly quickly, making sure he put on everything right before letting the Morrigan know, “I’m done.” He walked up to her, letting her examine him. Her eyes were wary at first, but eventually she nodded, pushing herself away from the tree.

“Come. I’ll introduce you to my husband.” She said before turning to join the festivity, Lance having no choice but to follow her. He felt his blood turn ice cold the closer he got to other fae. How did a simple prank turn into a full out sex ceremony? He doesn’t think he’ll ever know, but he bets it was fate’s way of saying it hates him.

He decided to push those thoughts aside and face what was to come. His blue eyes searched the crowd, trying to see if he could spot Keith anywhere among the naked fae. Keith should be wearing clothes as well so it should be easy to spot him. Except so far, Lance couldn’t see him anywhere. Maybe if it wasn’t for him trying to look away from… the naked crowd, he would actually be able to tell where Keith was.

The festivities were in full swing, the party already in high spirits. They were dancing around, goblets of wine everywhere, food on every table. Some are playing instruments, hopping from foot to foot around a bonfire. They were starting to notice him now, elbowing each other and their gazes landing all over him.

“Ignore them.” The Morrigan spoke, voice firm, “They're all curious as to whom wooed my son. Think nothing of them.”

Think nothing of them? How? They were all going to be watching him. Hells, they were going to be watching him sleep with her son. There was no way he couldn't think about that. Oh no, now the nervousness was setting back in.

The Morrigan lead him to somewhere near the center of the crowds, where a few large tables were set up. It was easy to spot where he and Keith would he seated, the two highest chairs empty and on even ground in the center of a fancy table. On either side of those chairs were what was probably the most important of Keith’s family. There were two other women there, a hooded figure, a really stern looking man with a braid, that Lotor guy, a girl that looked like a female Keith with blue hair, Sven, and a guy who looked  _a lot_  like Sven if he had a white frock on the front of his hair.

“Husband.” The woman greeted, walking up to the hooded figure, “I’ve picked up this ‘Lance’ that Keith desires so badly.”

The hooded figure did a double take, jumping from his seat at the table and throwing his arms out, “Wonderful!”

And then Lance was wrapped in a tight hug, being spun around with a flourish, “So _you’re_  the man my son has chosen. I cannot tell you how joyous it was to hear the news. His mother and I were so worried about him. He takes after me, you see, but he wasn’t finding anyone he could connect with.”

The hooded figure shook his head, huffing fondly, patting Lance on the back roughly, “That’s my boy though. I wouldn’t change him for all the souls in the world.”

And that’s when Lance remembered that this is _the_  death god patting him on the back fondly. He blanches, sputtering, “Y-Yeah, Keith is amazing.”

“Good boy.” The man pats his back again, “I like that name! You keep being good to my boy now, hear? I want to pass my crown to the happiest fae there ever was one day.”

“Y-Yes sir.” The witch replied quickly, feeling the fae pat his back with a bit more force before resting it against his shoulder. Lance wasn’t sure how comfortable he felt being this close to a death god, but he sure as hell wasn’t privy to being _this_  close to him. He felt his heart race, noting just how cold the man’s hand was.

It was as cold as ice, or better say death…

“I can’t see my son.” The Morrigan looked around but couldn’t see Keith anywhere among the crowd, “I doubt he’s not ready yet”

“Haha! Give him some time dear. This is an important day for him. He’ll finally become of age and gain his true powers as our son.  _Nothing_  could be more joyous as that.” The death god patted Lance’s shoulder again, staring down at him.

Lance’s blue eyes moved to look at the man’s face, but apart from the crimson red eyes that glowed within the darkness of the hood, he couldn’t see anything else. The crimson colour of those eyes resembled blood, and Lance could hear the screams of countless souls as he looked into them. He felt himself freeze all over, overtaken by the countless voices of pleas for help. His breathing quickened, eyes unblinking as he stared at the man. He thought he would go mad until he felt a hand on his shoulder, snapping him from whatever trance he found himself in.

“Don’t tease the boy. He is but a human.” The Morrigan tugged him closer to herself, finally allowing him to move away from the death god.

“I know.” The fae sighed, “I only wanted to extend a greeting as done in Annawen. This is the boy who is about to deflower my son. I have to greet him properly.”

“I think that’ll be enough.” The Morrigan let go of him, leaning her hands against her hips as she continued to look around, “I’ll go find Keith. He can’t take that long getting ready.”

“He’d probably with Shiro.” Another fae spoke, and when Lance turned to look at them, he noticed that it was the guy who was the exact copy of Sven, except for the white blob of hair he had at the front, “I saw them on the side of a lake nearby. They seemed to be ready the last time I saw them.”

Lance had to look away, feeling a blush creeping up onto his face. This guy was naked and… ehem… he was big. Quiznak… Why do fae have to be so weird? Can’t they put on some damn clothes? Luckily Keith’s mother and father were clothed, and Lance couldn’t be anymore thankful. He dreads seeing either of them naked.

Curse the fae and their strange ways of life. That’s everyone except for Keith, because Keith was Keith.

Speaking of the Mullet, where was he? Lance looked around the bare bodies but couldn’t find him anywhere among the crowd. He didn’t know why Keith wasn’t at the party yet but he prayed for him to arrive soon. He doesn’t think he can handle being surrounded by strange powerful fae anymore.

He decided to go for it and find out more, “I know Keith may be busy getting ready, but if possible, I’d like to go see him before the ceremony. Just to make sure he’s okay.”

“Don’t worry boy, you’ll be seeing plenty of Keith before the time comes.” Keith’s father patted him on the back again, pointing towards the chairs,  “You two will be there for a good few hours before the ceremony starts proper.”

A few  _hours?_ Gods, why were the fae like this? What was he even supposed to do? Just sit there and wait for the sex?

Apparently yes, because Keith’s dad was leading him towards his seat now, settling down and leaning against the table casually. He reached over, grabbing a goblet of wine, twirling it in his hands, “My boy deserves the best, I hope you understand.”

“Of course.” Lance shrinks as the death god passes him a goblet of wine. He doesn’t drink yet, not comfortable without Keith here to make sure he wasn’t messing up. Anawen nodded, seemingly satisfied with the witch’s answer. He hummed, patting Lance’s head in approval, “Good. Keith will be here soon, so this is the only chance I’ll get to tell you that if this turns out horrifically I’ll make sure your afterlife is the most hellish experience I can manage.”

“R-Right.” Lance gulped.

Keith’s dad nodded, “Good, I’m glad you understand. Keith is my only child, and he’s the brightest star in the sky as far as I’m concerned. Oh, there he is.”

Lance’s head snapped over towards where the death god was staring, only to drop the goblet he’d been holding. Keith...was even worse off then he was. The pale fae hadn’t exactly ever covered himself up much before, but now he was only two steps away from nude himself and the rest of his clothes were see through, only held together by delicate pins of flowers and shiny stones.

He was being carried by several people, flushed pink and squirming, thighs spread and head thrown back as he panted. The crowd stopped as he passed, whistling and throwing flowers at him as he passed.

“Hmmm, looks like they fed him well.” Keith’s dad hummed, studying his son before turning back to face Lance, “You better eat up boy, they’ve been feeding him for days. You won’t be able to keep up if you don’t eat, and I don’t want one of these failed suitors trying to jump in and ruin the ceremony half way through because they’re jealous and think you can’t keep up.”

Lance could barely hear what the death god said, he got the general message, but the rest of it was a blur. All drowned out by the sight of Keith and the way he squirmed in the hold of those strangers around him. Lance felt his fear lit anew, feeling the real weight of his situation finally settle into his very being.

He felt sick, horrified, that anyone at all would see this as something normal when it was far from it. He couldn’t move his eyes away from Keith’s struggling figure, feeling tears build at the edges of his eyes. He felt both fear and now guilt take root inside him, fully aware that all of this was his fault.

If only he’d listened to Keith and scattered some damn salt around his cottage, the both of them would have been in bed right now, cuddling and safe within the warmth of the blankets. That’s all it would have taken…just some salt and iron scattered around his house.

But no. He had to be  _incredibly_  dumb and refuse when Keith suggested it. He thought his reasons were just at the time but clearly they weren’t. It was a foolish decision made by a seventeen year old, somebody who didn’t know shit about the real dangers that were lurking around to get them.

He didn’t think it would have been this bad. His naive self probably thought that they would have defended themselves if anyone came to their house. Well, that clearly wasn’t that case. He also must have thought that if they got captured, that they’d be able to escape without any problems.

More tears began building at the edges of his eyes, unmoving from Keith’s figure as it neared, and then finally sat next to him with the help of those strangers who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, even as Keith was set down. Lance used some of his magic, uncaring if it exhausted him as he used tiny flares of fire to burn their hands so that they would let go of Keith.

The fae flinched, earning a loud laugh from Keith’s father. The laughter may have been joyous but right now, it sounded as the most horrifying sound Lance had ever heard in his entire life. It felt like those screams of help he heard minutes ago, both sinister and bone chilling.

“Keith.” As soon as he could, Lance embraced the other fae tightly, feeling it when Keith flinched upon contact, most likely caused by the things he was drugged with. It made him tighten his hold on the other, swearing that he’d protect this fae right here from everyone else that was around them. They were all mad, crazy. It was here that Lance understood that a human like himself would  _never_  understand the fae. He could deal with ghouls, unicorns or vampires because all they wanted to do was eat you. Fae on the other hand? They were on a whole new level.

“K-Keith… I’m… This is all my fault. If I listened to you, none of this would have happened.” He tried to apologise in any way he could, hating himself more than he ever did in his entire life.

“Hmm, Lance.” Keith leaned into him, sniffing his neck, placing a kiss against his jugular. Keith’s pale hand hugged him, petting softly, fingers playing with the ends of his hair. Keith moaned, rolling his hips, “Lance, it’s been days.”

“Save it for the ceremony son.” Keith’s father reached over, trying to pry them off each other, “We’ve got a little ways to go before he’s ready too.”

Lance expects Keith to snap, to fight back, to protest like he’d been doing since the moment that Lotor asshole planned this. He doesn’t. Keith flushes deeply, fluttering his lashes and squirming horribly while reaching out to grab Lance again. Keith’s father makes a fond noise, petting Keith’s hair, “I was like that with your mother when we were doing this.”

“Lance.” Keith frees himself from his father’s hold, reaching over to hold the witch again, going back to his petting, “Lance, I’ve missed you.”

The witch can feel the tears build, his arms tightening around the pale fae. This wasn’t fair, they shouldn’t be here right now, and Keith shouldn’t be drugged up like this, “I know Keith. I missed you too.”

“Lance.” Keith breathes against him. His breath is warm, deadly hot against his skin, sending goose bumps down his flesh, and it smells like cider and wine. Every part of Keith smells sweet right now, and he’s squirming terribly against Lance’s side, rubbing against him like he wants to carve a place there he can never leave, “I feel so good, Lance, so good.”

“That’s the spell working son.” Keith’s father chuckles fondly, and it’s the most horrific sound Lance has ever heard, “You’re going to feel like that until it’s all out of your system.”

“I tried to feel good.” Keith leans forward to whisper, his teeth nibbling at the shell of Lance’s ear, hot breath tickling him, “But you weren’t there. It doesn’t feel as good without you.”

“Keith.” Lance breaths, stuck somewhere between being horrified and aroused, “Keith, I promise I’ll get you home after this, away from here. I won’t let them touch you again.”

“I don’t care where I am.” Keith nibbles at the shell of his ear, “As long as you’re there.”

The witch closed his eyes, squeezing Keith even tighter. He could feel the presence of Anawen nearby, watching them curiously with sharp eagle eyes. Lance could feel it piercing into him, so strong and protective of Keith that he felt it in the air around him.

All of this could have been avoided, but they were already here, past that point in time. Lance clenched his hand on Keith’s back, now determined to try and fix as many of his mistakes he could. The odds were against him, and he might very well be risking more than his life here, but it was worth a shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MsBluebell: The real horror of this story is the family pressure to do thing you don't want to do in the name of tradition. In other words, it's keeping your mouth shut at Thanksgiving while your uncle makes homophobic comments or something.
> 
> Also, Lance, meet all your in laws, they like you. Really, they do. XD
> 
> BlueStarPaladin: Lance is in big trouble... Poor Keith...
> 
> Tumblr:  
> McBluebell: [msbluebell](http://msbluebell.tumblr.com/)  
> BlueStarPaladin: [starellas](https://starellas.tumblr.com/)


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